Miraculous Tale
by awkwardnarturtle
Summary: They say that curiosity killed the cat. But it can do a whole lot more than that. [In which Marinette falls into an unfamiliar place with strange inhabitants.]
1. Prologue

_Long ago, two races ruled over the Earth: Humans and Akumas._

 _One day, war broke out among the two races._

 _After a long battle, the humans were victorious._

 _They sealed the akumas underground with a magic spell._

 _Many years later..._

 ** _[Mt. Ebott, 201X]_**

 _Legends say that those who climb the mountain never return._

And yet.

There is a girl on the mountain, walking aimlessly, not paying attention to where she places her feet. And she trips. Directly into a deep chasm.

Her stomach churns as she falls, her mouth open in a silent scream. She lands ungracefully, and her vision wavers as pain stabs at almost every part of her body. She thinks she can see small flickers of movement around her, but she can't be sure.

As her eyes drift closed, she wonders if she'll die right here, under the mountain. It's her last thought as the darkness overtakes her.


	2. Chapter 1

She comes to slowly.

First becoming aware that she was in pain. A lot of it. And that she was lying on hard ground. Which hurt.

There's odd flapping sounds around her; nothing unsettling, just the delicate flapping noises of butterflies. Slowly, she opens her eyes, and she sees them.

She's never seen purple butterflies before, but they seem to be in abundant numbers here; resting on the ground, fluttering around the cave place she's in, tickling her cheeks. They aren't shy, and she wonders when butterflies got so friendly.

With a grunt, she pushed herself off the ground, careful to avoid stepping on the butterflies. She looked down at her clothes, which were not torn at all. Her right arm felt useless, dangling painfully at her side. It was probably broken, but she had to ignore it for now.

She wasn't dead, after all.

Her eyes travel slowly around the room, taking in her surroundings. The only light is from the hole far up where she'd initially fallen, and there's only one direction to go in, the cave being a caul-de-sac with an ominous dark hallway leading to a large door.

A butterfly tickles her cheek, and, without thinking, lifts her right arm to brush it away, gasping aloud in pain. Blood started to seep through the sleeve of her sweater, and she winced. That probably isn't good.

Seeing no other choice, she walked slowly to the door, taking one last look at the purple butterflies before pushing it open.

The effort of walking and pushing the heavy door caused her ribs to hurt, her breath coming in short gasps. This also was probably not good.

What waited on the other side of the door was pitch black nothingness. For a moment, she thought she had blacked out again, but with a painful throb from her arm, she dismissed the thought. She advanced slowly, trying to open her eyes wide enough to see if she could make anything out in the darkness.

A ray of light burst from nowhere, temporarily blinding her. When her eyes adjusted, she saw that it was illuminating a patch of green grass and a purple butterfly, larger than the ones in the last room.

"Hello, there," the butterfly said, its' wings fluttering to keep it in the air. "I'm Hawkmoth," the butterfly introduced, and it made a strange movement with its wings that she guessed was meant to motion her to come closer. She did, but only a little.

"There's no need to be scared," Hawkmoth said, laughing lightly, and she softened a little bit, taking another couple of steps closer. "You must be new to the Underground." He didn't say it like a question. She still nodded.

"Well, I don't want you to go around not knowing what to do; that'd be very rude of me." _So the talking purple butterfly wants to help me,_ she thought. "Since you're new, I'll show you the ropes, okay?" She nodded again.

"Down here, we have this thing called LOVE. It really means something when we share it with other people, and it's shared through gifts from very generous akumas." Akumas? She could've sworn those were just a myth. "All akumas show their LOVE differently, and I show mine through little white flowers. Got it?" She was confused, but she nodded anyway.

"So try to get as many little white flowers as you can!" Hawkmoth started to emit tiny flowers, and she reached for them with her left hand.

As soon as the flower touched her fingertip, it stuck to her skin, burning and sizzling, which wasn't normal for flowers, she was pretty sure. She cried out, the added pain of the searing flower making her fall to her knees. Her left hand was going numb, and she scraped the flower off her finger, hot tears streaming from her eyes.

She blinked the tears away, her breath choppy, her arm and finger throbbing.

When she could finally get her mind to focus on something other than the pain, she looked up, her vision blurred. Hawkmoth was drunkenly fluttering around, and he was cackling like a madman. Butterfly. Madbutterfly.

"You _idiot_ ," Hawkmoth gasped when he finished laughing, his fluttering going back to something close to normal. "You get nowhere if you just blindly _trust_ people, don't you know that?"

She sniffled, resting her left hand in her lap, her right arm still beside her, utterly useless.

"In this world," Hawkmoth started, his fluttering becoming erratic once more, "it's _kill_ or _be killed._ " A large mass of tiny flowers swirled out of him, circling around her and getting closer with every turn.

She couldn't help it. She called for help. Her voice was raspy and not nearly loud enough to make anyone hear. Hawkmoth cackled at her failed attempt, and she let out a sob.

It was the end. She would actually die this time.

Something red and small hurtled itself at Hawkmoth, who let out a scream and disappeared. His flowers faded away.

She looked through her tears, trying to focus on the red thing as it zipped closer to her face. Her immediate response was to back away, and the thing stopped coming closer.

"I'm sorry," the things said, it's voice high and sweet, "I didn't mean to alarm you." She blinked more, focusing on the thing, which kind of looked like a ladybug, but the size of her palm.

"Hawkmoth is an evil akuma, and I promise you that I won't hurt you. In fact, now that I see how hurt you are, I want to heal you. Would that be okay?"

"Who?" was the only word she could get out, pain still clouding the majority of her thoughts.

"I am Tikki, and I always come here to check for fallen humans to protect them. Now, child, who are you?"

"Marinette," she said, Tikki coming in and out of focus with every breath she took.

"Marinette, please let me heal you. You aren't in a very good state right now, as I'm sure you know." 'Not a very good state' was probably the understatement of the century, but Marinette nodded.

"I trust you," she croaked out, which probably wasn't the best decision since she'd trusted Hawkmoth, but she lifted her left hand to Tikki anyway.

She braced herself for pain, but when Tikki touched her fingertip, a cool flowing sensation flooded from her fingertip to the rest of her body, traveling through her veins and settling at her ribs and her arm.

The sensation faded away, as did any pain, and Marinette found that she could think clearly for the first time since she fell. "I… Thank you," she said, her eyes wide and focused on Tikki, who smiled sweetly at her.

"Child, would you like to come with me? I can lead you to a safe place." Now that Marinette actually had a reason to trust Tikki, she nodded slowly, getting up off her feet with a small smile. Nothing hurt anymore.

Tikki started to float out of the patch of light in the room, and, for a moment, Marinette followed her. But then she stopped, anxiety creeping into her bones. She was in a dark and scary and unfamiliar place. There was no exit in sight. She was following a talking ladybug thing.

"I… I think I'll just stay down here after all," Marinette said softly, hugging herself and looking down at the overly green grass. Tikki stopped, giving her a look of inquiry. "I'll be fine, really." Lies.

"Child," Tikki said slowly, floating back to Marinette, who refused to meet her eye. "If you stay here, Hawkmoth will be back. And the next time, he won't even try to be nice to you. "

Marinette didn't say anything, wrapping her arms around herself tighter, her jaw clenching.

"Are you scared?" Tikki asked after a moment, and Marinette nodded, still not looking Tikki in the eye. "I'll protect you."

She wondered how Tikki could protect her when she was so small, but Marinette finally looked up. She felt slightly ashamed; she wasn't a child anymore (despite what Tikki called her), and here she was, scared like a five year old.

"Okay," Marinette sniffed, and she followed Tikki into the darkness.


	3. Chapter 2

"There's a door right in front of you," Tikki said from her perch on Marinette's head. "If you could be a dear and open it, that would be wonderful."

Blushing slightly, Marinette fumbled around and gripped the large handle, which felt similar to the handle that lead into the dark room. She pulled it harder than she needed to and fell backwards, Tikki flying off her head with small squeak.

"Oh! I'm sorry!"

"Don't worry about it, my child," Tikki responded, and the light of the next room illuminated her tiny smile. Marinette smiled back, kind of, and then turned her attention to the lighted room.

The walls were a light and soothing purple, and there were vines crawling up the bricks, and neatly trimmed bushes arranged around the room. There were a pair of stairs leading up to another door, which was a darker shade of purple.

Tikki zoomed up the stairs and waited patiently for Marinette to follow. Marinette's attention, however, was taken by a small patch of red leaves where a small gold sparkly thing was resting.

She walked closer to the leaves, her steps cautious. "Tikki, what's that?"

"The leaves? Oh, one of the akumas likes to collect them. I guess he left some here for decoration."

"No, the gold thing."

"What gold thing?" Marinette looked up at Tikki, who was genuinely confused. She knew she should've just ignored it - things, no matter how sparkly, were probably dangerous if no one else could see them - but her curiosity got the better of her, the sparkling gold object luring her closer.

Her feet crunched the leaves in quite a satisfying way as she neared the object, reaching out a finger to touch it. As soon as her finger hit it, warmth enveloped her entire body, and everything around her turned to a shade of gray, fading to the background as a message popped up in the air in front of her.

 ** _The unfamiliarity of a new place fills you with determination._**

 ** _Would you like to save?_**

Underneath the message were two buttons, labeled 'yes' and 'no.'

Intrigued, Marinette looked around the message to Tikki, who seemed to be frozen, the look of patient confusion on her face. She took a step off the leaves. There was no crunching sound. Everything was completely silent.

Marinette had never played a video game in her life; the resources were never available to her. But she had heard of how you could play a game and then save it so that when you lost, you didn't have to start all the way back at the beginning. Maybe this was something like that?

But there was also the other thing in the message.

Determination?

Sure, the concept wasn't new, but it was still a strange thing to put in a save message. It was almost like the message was trying to encourage her to continue. Continue to what?

Where would this lead her?

She pressed the 'yes' button anyway.

Immediately, the color rushed back to the room, and Tikki unfroze, blinking at Marinette. For a moment, they stared at each other, Tikki in confusion, Marinette in withdrawn surprise. And then Marinette laughed awkwardly.

"Never mind. It was just my eyes playing tricks on me," Marinette said, trying to keep her voice light as she walked up the stairs to follow Tikki. She wasn't sure why she wanted to keep the save message a secret from Tikki, but she felt like it was something that she needed to keep to herself. "Where to next?"

Tikki smiled, and then tapped the door lightly with her hand. It swung open with ease, revealing a room similar to the one they were in, but no stairs or leaves. Instead, there were six gray plates on the ground and another door.

"In the Ruins, there are a lot of puzzles," Tikki explained as she landed on three of the plates in a pattern. "And to get around safely, you have to solve the puzzles." The door slid open. "Do you understand?"

"I think so," Marinette said, her eyebrows furrowing as she followed Tikki through the door. It slid closed behind them. "But why are there puzzles?"

"We like making them," Tikki responded with a laugh. It seemed strangely convoluted and unnecessary to Marinette, but she smiled anyway.

The next room was a long corridor, the bricks the same soothing shade of purple as before, vines crawling up the walls. There was a path indicated by a trail of gravel that was a lighter shade of purple, and the path traveled across the entire corridor.

"For this puzzle, I would like you to solve it yourself," Tikki said. Marinette froze, looking at Tikki, a sort of embarrassed fear in her eyes. "Don't fear, Marinette," Tikki said immediately, seeming to understand Marinette with ease, "I've labeled the swtiches that need to be switched to help you."

How could Tikki possibly have already labeled the swtiches when she didn't know Marinette would fall? The only thing Marinette could think of to explain this was that Tikki labeled them in case a human fell, and this concept made Marinette sad, for some reason. It just seemed a bit… lonely.

The switches were labeled with yellow writing, and although there were three in the corridor, only two were labeled. Marinette switched them absently, trying to imagine Tikki carrying a yellow marker that was bigger than her. Although, the fairy tales that were told to human children said that akumas were magical creatures; maybe Tikki used magic to make up for her tiny size.

When Marinette had switched the second switch, the ground rumbled, and there was a clacking sound from the end of the corridor.

"Well done, my child!" Tikki praised, and Marinette flushed with a childish pride, following Tikki as she floated across two large metal plates on the ground. As Marinette stepped on them, they sunk just a few millimeters, and spikes poked out from holes in the plates. Marinette withdrew her foot, deciding that stepping on the plates was probably not the best idea.

"Ah, I should probably get someone to fix that," Tikki said, noticing Marinette's discomfort. "It's just that no one other than me has come this way in such a long time… There really was no need to fix it." Tikki looked a bit sad.

"I don't mind," Marinette said after examining Tikki's expression for a moment. "It just surprised me, that's all." Tikki gave her a smile that said she understood that Marinette was trying to cheer her up. Nothing else was said about the spikes.

The corridor opened up to a small room, with a lone dummy on one side. It looked like a replica of human mannequins, only crudely sewed together.

"As you've unfortunately seen, sometimes akumas will try and attack you," Tikki said, and Marinette looked away from the dummy. Bad memories of Hawkmoth forced themselves to the front of Marinette's mind, and she winced, her left hand going to her right arm.

Tikki moved so that she was making eye contact with Marinette, her large eyes showing Marinette honest kindness. "When I'm not there to protect you, most conflicts can be resolved by talking it out." The 'most' in that sentence was probably because of Hawkmoth, Marinette noted bitterly. Why had the first akuma she'd met been a sociopathic butterfly?

"So, I would like you to practice talking to this dummy."

"What?" Marinette, who had sort of been zoning out, came back to focus at this little piece of crazy.

"Please talk to the dummy to practice resolving conflicts peacefully."

There was so many things wrong with this.

"But… There's no conflict between the dummy and I," Marinette said, glancing at the dummy just to make sure it hadn't become sentient in the seconds since she'd last looked at it.

"All the same; practice will help you when it actually happens." Marinette squinted at Tikki for a moment – just to check that this wasn't a joke – then walked up to the dummy, looking it over once and then looking at it's faceless head.

"Hi," Marinette greeted. The dummy didn't say anything. "How are you doing?" The question was stupid, yes, but Marinette had no idea what else could be said in this situation. The dummy didn't seem to be one much for talking, but Tikki looked pleased, so Marinette tried her best to ignore the embarrassment of talking to a crudely made dummy.

Tikki floated through the next door, which lead to a corridor similar to the one before, except the light purple path wiggled back and forth. "There's another puzzle in this room and the next room, I want to see if you'd like to solve it."

Marinette shrugged and followed Tikki through the corridor. There was nothing really exceptional about it except for the strange path. The corridor narrowed, and on the wall had a gray plaque with writing on it.

 ** _The last room is a blueprint for the next._**

 _How strange,_ Marinette thought idly, and then the corridor opened up once more, revealing a moat around the edges of the room and a wooden bridge leading to some spikes like the ones from before, only there were a lot more. How were they supposed to get across without any switches to lower the spikes?

Well, Tikki could float, but Marinette would have to resort to swimming. She shivered at the thought.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Tikki said after a while, and she lowered herself to the ground so that she stood on her tiny feet. "I thought this puzzle would be okay, but now I see it may be too difficult… Don't worry, child, I'll guide you."

Careful not to step on Tikki, Marinette followed her hesitantly. As soon as Tikki's tiny feet touched the plates with spikes, the spikes withdrew into the their holes. The metal plates held Marinette's weight, unlike the last ones, and she was grateful for that.

As they continued on the spikes, Marinette noticed something peculiar about the path they were taking; it was the same as the strange path in the last room. It wasn't until they reached the end of the spikes and crossed another wooden bridge did it make sense to her.

 _Wow, am I dense,_ Marinette thought, the strange paths and the sign suddenly clicking together like puzzle pieces. Tikki floated back into the air so that she could be eye level with Marinette.

"I'm sorry if I made you nervous, Marinette. That kind of puzzle may be too difficult for you just yet."

"I kind of get it now," Marinette said slowly.

"Do you?" Tikki asked excitedly. "Well, instead of doing a dangerous puzzle, how about I test your independence?" Marinette figured this was a rhetorical question and didn't answer. "Just walk to the end of this corridor without my help."

"Uh, okay," Marinette said, trying to see the end of the corridor and failing. Tikki zoomed ahead, and Marinette quickly lost sight of her.

There was no real signs of danger, so Marinette shrugged, walking her way through the corridor with ease. The light purple path seemed to continue on forever, and Marinette grew tired of seeing the same boring purple bricks and green vines. She'd rather see spikes, if she was being honest.

Tikki floated out from behind a column that broke the same pattern of purple and vines, and Marinette was glad that the 'test' was over.

"You did so well!" Tikki praised, and Marinette flushed with the same childish pride as before. "I'm afraid that this was just preparation for now. I've got to run some errands, so I'd like if you'd stay here for a while. Can you do that?"

"I guess," Marinette said, shrugging.

"Wonderful! In case you run into any trouble, I'll give you this," Tikki said, magically producing a circular red object with black spots.

"What is it?" Marinette asked, eyeing it suspiciously. She knew it was wrong to doubt Tikki, but after a previous encounter with things being 'given' to her courtesy of Hawkmoth, she was wary of 'presents.'

"It can be many things, child! It can carry things, give you items when you need them, and it can also work as a cell phone," Tikki said, tapping it softly with her hand to display it's different capabilities. The thing flipped open three different ways, one of them displaying a bunch of buttons and a phone screen.

"Convenient," Marinette commented, taking the thing in her hands and flipping it open in the different ways Tikki had showed her.

"It's called a Miraculous Object," Tikki said. "I have to go, okay? Be safe, Marinette, and stay here!" Marinette nodded and watched as Tikki zoomed away.

For a while, Marinette followed Tikki's instructions, staying in the same spot and wasting the time away by examining the Miraculous Object, flipping it open and calling Tikki a couple of times – just to say hi, with the embarrassing bonus of accidentally calling her Mom.

"Alright, bye, Mom," Marinette had said casually, and then froze, her cheeks turning red. "I mean-"

"Oh, Marinette, I didn't know you felt that way," Tikki had said, and Marinette couldn't help but have noticed that she sounded pleased. "I'm not your mother, but… If that's how you'd like to think of me, then I'd love to be your 'Mom!'"

Needless to say, that was more than a little embarrassing.

But soon, Marinette grew bored of waiting. There was nothing interesting to look at in the long purple corridor, and the color was less soothing now and more annoying. She was curious as to what was in the next room and the one after that and the one after that.

And so she left the corridor, barely thinking of Tikki's instructions.

As soon as she left, Tikki called, and Marinette answered instantly. "Yes?"

"You're still in the room, I hope?" Tikki asked, and Marinette winced, but before she could answer, Tikki continued talking. "There are some puzzles ahead that I haven't explained yet, and it would be dangerous to try and solve them yourself. And I just realized that I haven't cleaned up in a while, so you might find some stuff laying around… It's okay to pick it up and take it with you, but don't take any more than you can carry, alright?"

"Okay," Marinette answered, and Tikki said her farewell and hung up. Marinette wondered how she was supposed to find things and take them if she was in the boring corridor, and so she justified leaving by think that she could help Tikki find things laying around.

She turned her attention to the room, putting Tikki at the back of her thoughts. It was the same purple as before, but there were patches of red leaves, two exits, and a frog akuma.

"Hello," Marinette greeted, approaching the akuma carefully and putting a smile on her face.

"Ribbit," the frog greeted, and Marinette took it as a good sign that it wasn't attacking her. "I have some advice on fighting monsters. Would you like to hear it?"

"Yes, please."

"When you interact a certain way or injure an akuma until it's very weak, it may not want to fight you anymore. If this happens, their name turns yellow." Marinette almost asked about this, but figured she'd find out soon enough, so she decided not to. "Please, human, if this happens, please show some mercy."

"Okay," Marinette said, nodding to the frog. "I will; thank you for your advice." The frog akuma nodded back.

She turned her attention to the leaves, noticing that there was another golden shiny thing in them, like the 'save' from the first room Tikki had led her to. She walked to it, the leaves crackling pleasantly underneath her feet. She touched the shiny thing with the tip of her finger, and a similar sensation as before came over her. The world went black and white.

 ** _Playfully crinkling through the leaves fills you with determination._**

 ** _Would you like to save?_**

Marinette pressed the 'yes' button without hesitation, and the world flooded with color, everything unfreezing.

Besides from the leaves and the frog akuma, there wasn't much to do or interact with in the room, and Marinette looked at the two exits, wondering which one to go through.

She chose the one at the north of the room, and when she walked through the door, it opened up to a small beautiful room. On the sides were moats full of sparkling blue water, and in the middle of the room was a small pedestal with a small bowl full of wrapped candies in it. The pedestal was ringed with leaves, and Marinette took a moment to appreciate the beauty of it all before going to the pedestal to examine the candies.

There was a neatly written sign by the bowl that said ' _please take one'_ in a cursive script. The wrappers of the candies had a small logo that said 'Akuma Candy, restores some health and taste delicious!' Marinette guessed that akuma advertising used less trickery than human advertising.

She took a candy and put it in her pocket, about to reach for another, but then feeling guilty for even thinking such a thing after seeing such a polite sign.

Figuring there was nothing else she could do in the room, Marinette walked out, returning to the room with the frog akuma and leaves. Before she could get any further to the next exit, however, another frog akuma appeared before her, the name 'Froggit' floating above its head in white text.

"Oh, hello," Marinette greeted, taking a step closer. "Do you have some advice for me too?"

An odd sensation occurred in her chest, quite different from the warmth of the save points and the cool sensation of healing. It felt like something was being taken from her body.

A glowing red heart appeared before her, and the frog akuma zeroed in on it. Marinette immediately took the heart in her hands as gently as she could and shielded it from the frog akuma, not knowing at all what it was, but figuring she had to protect it.

White flies surrounded the frog, and Marinette thought of the white flowers that Hawkmoth had tried to give her. This frog was trying to give Marinette LOVE, and she did not at all want it.

Tikki had said that when an akuma tried to attack, it was best to talk it out, but Marinette could not think of anything at all to talk about. The flies started to get closer.

The excruciating pain of the flowers from Hawkmoth was still fresh in her mind, and Marinette knew without a doubt that being touched by all these flies would kill her. The heart trembled in her hands.

From her pocket, something beeped, ruining the drama of the moment. Marinette glanced up at the flies, then down at the quivering heart in her hands. "Will you be alright if I let go of you?" The heart stopped trembling for just a moment, and Marinette took that as a yes, removing her hands from around the heart. The heart floated around for a moment, then started to move toward the flies.

"What are you doing?" Marinette asked, panicking a little. "That's the thing you should _not_ do!" The heart stopped moving momentarily, then zoomed around the flies, leading them away from Marinette.

"Oh."

She turned her attention away from the heart, knowing that it could fend for itself. Her pocket was still beeping incessantly, and Marinette took out the Miraculous Object, which had a paper icon blinking on one of its spots.

As soon as Marinette touched the icon, the Object dispensed a tiny slip of paper, and then promptly stopped beeping. The paper had one word on it: 'compliment.'

 _Does that mean I compliment the frog?_ Marinette thought, all of this starting to feel a bit silly.

She looked up at the heart, which narrowly dodged a fly and zoomed back to Marinette, seemingly in panic. The flies changed their progress to fly toward Marinette, and she figured that being silly was okay as long as she survived.

"Hey, Froggit!" Marinette shouted, and was pleased to find that the flies had stopped their progress, and the frog looking at her questioningly. "You, um, look really nice today."

The flies dissolved, and the frog seemed to turn a little green, like it was blushing.

Marinette looked over at the heart, who had previously been hiding in her hair, and the heart seemed to look back at her.

The name floating above the frog's head had turned yellow, and, as Marinette saw this, the Miraculous Object beeped once, another slip of paper dispensing from it. Both Marinette and the heart leaned down to read what it said.

' _Show mercy.'_

"How do I do that?" Marinette asked the heart, and the heart made a gesture that looked suspiciously like a shrug before floating down to Marinette's chest and melting into her sweater. The feeling of something being lost vanished, being replaced by the feeling of something being given back.

Not knowing what else to do, Marinette smiled at the frog. It vanished entirely.

"I hope I did that right," Marinette muttered to herself, turning to the other exit in the room.

Nothing left to do but go forward.


	4. Chapter 3

Why every single wall was purple was a mystery to Marinette, who was rapidly growing tired of seeing the same color. Sure, she was no interior decorator, but she figured the Ruins could've been painted a lot differently.

The next room Marinette had walked into after her first fight was just another corridor, but it was different in the sense that gravel was replaced by dark purple sand and there were two holes in the wall on either side of the sand. Having gone through some of the many puzzles of the Ruins, Marinette probably should've been more cautious before walking directly into the sand, but it seemed she still had many things to learn.

The sand gave way to a hole perfectly sized for Marinette, and she fell. Her stomach felt like it had been left somewhere in the sand, and she landed feet first on a bed of leaves.

There were two doors on either side of the leaves, and they looked as if they lead nowhere, the doorways clouded in shadow.

Figuring that her best bet at this point was to continue forward – forward being the direction she'd originally been going in before she fell – she chose the door to the right.

An odd sensation made her stomach clench and her hair blow back from her face, and she emerged on the other side of the sand pit she'd originally fallen through. The hole she'd fallen through had closed up.

This wasn't exactly unsettling, but it still made Marinette swallow hard, rubbing the palms of her hands on her shorts.

She walked to the next room, and her Miraculous Object made an annoying beeping sound. Taking it out of her pocket, she saw one of the spots blinking with the phone icon, and Marinette tapped it lightly, answering the phone.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Marinette," she heard Tikki's high pitched and sweet voice say. "For no reason in particular, which do you prefer: cinnamon or butterscotch?"

Marinette had to think for a moment. She loved both flavors, having them both at her disposal when she was a little kid. But she knew which one she wanted to taste once more. "Butterscotch," she said, her voice sure.

Tikki seemed to not know what to make of her answer. It was a moment before she spoke again. "I see. But if, say, you were to receive something with cinnamon, would you turn your nose up at it?"

"Of course not," Marinette answered, trying to sound reassuring.

"Wonderful! I'll be done soon, child, so just wait a little longer!" And with that, Tikki hung up.

Marinette smiled to herself, stuffing the Miraculous Object in her pocket, and looked up at the room she'd walked into. She almost rolled her eyes at the sight of more spikes. They were blocking the exit, and it looked like all she had to do was push a rock onto a weighted platform, and so that's what she did.

The spikes retracted with a clanking sound, and Marinette leaped over the metal plates the spikes came from, not trusting them enough to step on them.

The next room revealed more sand, and Marinette felt her stomach do an uncomfortable flip. She'd only experienced the sand one time before, but it was already her least favorite puzzle.

She took a tentative step onto the sand, and immediately fell through. This time, she didn't land on her feet. The fall had made her head spin, and it took her a moment to get back up.

There was a path on the ground outlined with red leaves, and then at the end of the room, there was another pitch black doorway. Marinette committed the path to memory, hoping that it was like that puzzle Tikki had lead her through before.

When she walked through the doorway, her hair blowing back and her eyes squinting, she was back at the beginning of the room with all the sand.

Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, conjuring up the path outlined in red leaves, and stepped on the sand hesitantly. The sand held her weight, and she breathed out a sight of relief, following the path in her mind's eye and walking very slowly to check for particularly loose sand.

She reached the end of the room without further incident, and she leaped the last couple of feet to the exit, all too anxious to get off the sand.

There were more rocks and spikes in the next room, and she pushed the first two rocks onto their designated platform without anything special happening because what could possible be special about a normal gray rock?

Marinette started to push the third rock, but it made a noise of disapproval. Marinette glanced around in confusion, starting to push the rock again, when it made a groan of obvious displeasure. Marinette made a small squeak and jumped away from the rock.

"Honestly," the rock said in a gravelly voice. "You can't expect me to just be pushed around by you, can I? I'm not like other rocks," he said, and Marinette almost rolled her eyes, but she managed to control herself.

"I just want to get to the next room," Marinette replied, trying her best not to sound like she had better things to do than talk with a rock.

"And what am I supposed to do about that?" the rock demanded, and this time Marinette did roll her eyes.

"There are platforms that need to be pushed so that the spikes blocking the exit go away," she explained, gesturing to the spikes and the rocks sitting peacefully on their platforms. She wondered if they could talk, too.

"Well, you could've just asked," the rock said, the tone of it's voice changing dramatically to something almost friendly. "So you want me to move?"

"Yes, please," Marinette said.

The rock promptly moved. In the wrong direction.

"I didn't mean that way," Marinette said, trying her hardest to sound polite.

"Oh, you want me to move in the other direction?" the rock asked, still keeping up it's friendly tone. Marinette wondered if it was being insufferable on purpose.

"Please."

The rock moved again. In the right direction.

"I would like you to go more that a foot," Marinette said after the rock looked like it had no intention of moving further.

"Oh, okay," the rock said, and it moved to rest on the platform, and the spikes blocking the exit retracted into their metal plates. Marinette smiled at the rock, trying to hide her irritation behind her lips.

"Thank you." She started to walk toward the exit, but as soon as she was about to put her foot on the metal plates, the spikes sprang up. She screamed, jumping away from the spikes and whipping around to the rock, who looked as if it was faking innocence, despite having no facial expression. It was quite clearly _not_ on the platform that Marinette had asked _oh so_ politely for it to be.

"What the hell?" Marinette demanded, her breathing fast. "My foot could've gotten impaled!"

"Oh… You wanted me to _stay_ there?" the rock asked, and Marinette wanted to scream. But she managed to get her breathing under control as she forced her voice to be polite.

"Yes, that would be great," she said through clenched teeth.

The rock gave an innocent gravelly laugh, and Marinette wanted to kick it. "Well, you should've said so." It moved back onto the platform, and Marinette said a forced thank you as she hurried over the metal plates to the exit.

Sure, the sand was Marinette's least favorite puzzle, but the rock was her least favorite akuma she's come across. She even preferred Froggit, who had tried attacking her.

There was another save point, but this time, there were no red leaves in sight. Just a tiny table with old cheese stuck to it. She approached the cheese first. It looked so old that it had started to stick to the table. Marinette had a strange impulse to touch it, but then decided it'd be too disgusting.

Before she walked back to the save point, she noticed a tiny hole in the wall, quite like a mouse hole. She started to walk closer, but then a small squeak emitted from the hole, and Marinette decided not to.

When she touched the save point and the world turned black and white, the message read as follows:

 ** _The thought that someday the mouse might get the cheese fills you with determination._**

 ** _Would you like to save?_**

Marinette smiled softly to herself, pressing 'yes' and taking one last glance at the mouse hole before moving on.

In the next room, the walls seemed to narrow at one particular spot, the ground there covered in red leaves. As Marinette walked closer, she saw that a transparent boy was laying on top of the leaves, his eyes squinted just the tiniest bit open and watching her closely.

Once the transparent boy saw that Marinette was looking at him, he quickly closed his eyes and pretended to snore. "Zzzzzz… Is she gone yet? Zzzzzz…"

Marinette resisted the urge to laugh as she walked closer. _What a silly little akuma,_ she thought to herself as the boy's eyes opened once more before squeezing them shut again.

"Oh, she's not gone… Zzzzz…"

"Hi there," Marinette greeted, and the boy shuttered.

"Oh, no… She's trying to talk to me… Or is she?" The boy's eyes opened again and flitted around, as if to check if there was anyone else in the room, and then squeezed shut again. "She really _is_ trying to talk to me," the boy muttered, "hopefully she just goes away." And then he started to fake snore again.

"I'm not going away," Marinette said, laughing a little.

The boy seemed to panic a little, the intensity of his fake snoring increasing.

"I want to get across to the next part of the room, but you're blocking the way. Do you mind moving?" Marinette asked politely, brushing the tips of her fingers on the boy's transparent body.

As soon as she did so, the red heart from when she saw Froggit seeped out of her, and the boy stood almost begrudgingly. Surprised, Marinette looked down at the heart, which seemed to glow happily at her.

She looked back up at the boy, and she saw that he was pointedly not looking her in the eye, his hands clasped behind his back, and his floppy hair covering one eye. His feet floated a few inches off the leaves, and suddenly his transparent appearance made sense. He was a ghost.

The white name 'Nathanael' was floating above his head, and Marinette looked down at the heart once more, but it was already zooming closer to Nathanael.

Not knowing what else to do, Marinette decided to compliment him, like she did with Froggit. "I really like your outfit, Nathanael," Marinette said, truly meaning it.

"Oh…" Nathanael's cheeks seemed to grow more opaque, which seemed to be a sign that he was blushing.

White tears flowed from Nathanael's eyes, going directly for the heart, but they were going slow, and Marinette was relieved to see the heart could easily dodge them.

"Why are you crying?" Marinette asked, and Nathanael shrugged, the white tears gathering together to form the words _'Really not feeling this right now, sorry.'_ The heart darted through the words, seemingly in confusion.

There was an annoying beeping sound, and Marinette immediately took out the Miraculous Object. Nathanael's eyes drifted up for the first time, his eyes focusing on the Object.

It was distributing a slip of paper, and Marinette gestured for the heart to come over to her so that they could read it together. Just as before, the paper had a concise message printed on it, this time the words reading _'cheer on.'_ Marinette looked down at the heart, and the heart made a shrugging gesture.

"You're really no help with these things, are you?" she muttered to it quietly, and in response, the heart floated over to Nathanael and glowed brightly. "Alright, alright, whatever," Marinette said, rolling her eyes.

"Hey, Nathanael," Marinette called, and he looked at her for the first time. "You can do it!" He looked utterly surprised by her words, and white tears started to flow from his eyes again.

"Oh…"

"I mean it, Nathanael, you can do it," Marinette said, her voice more sure. The tears stopped and dissipated. The heart floated back to Marinette merrily, stopping right in front of her and turning to face Nathanael again.

"Can I show you something?" Nathanael asked, his cheeks growing opaque again.

"Of course you can," Marinette replied, smiling sweetly at him.

White tears started to flow once more from his eyes, but, instead of aiming at the heart, they went up, making a white baret that rested comfortably on his transparent head. "Do you like it?" Nathanael asked, his cheeks growing more and more opaque.

"Yeah, I love it," Marinette said, grinning at him, and Nathanael's lips turned up in a smile as he looked down at the red leaves beneath him.

The red heart floated back to Marinette and pushed itself back into her, a warm feeling blossoming through her body. She looked back up at Nathanael, who had taken off his baret and was twisting it in his transparent hands.

"You know, no one's ever really been nice to me before," he said, looking up at Marinette.

"Nathanael," Marinette started, taking a step closer. But she didn't know what else to say, so she stopped, holding out a hand to him.

He looked at it curiously, and then touched the tips of his fingers to hers. His touch felt like wind on her skin. "It's because no one really noticed me. I am a ghost, after all." He didn't sound sad, but Marinette still felt like giving him a hug.

He was still staring at her hand with that curious look, and then he laced his fingers together with hers. It felt as if a warm summer wind was blowing over her fingers.

And then he pulled away, his cheeks getting extremely opaque. "I'm probably bothering you a lot-"

"Not at all-"

"I'm sorry," he continued as if Marinette hadn't spoken, "so I'll just go. But just so you know, you cheering me on really, you know, cheered me up. It meant a lot." He paused, and Marinette started to protest again, but he cut her off. "Well, see you around."

And then he waved goodbye, fading away before Marinette could say anything else.

"What…" Her voice trailed off as she stared at the place Nathanael had been. She couldn't believe she had made her first friend aside from Tikki in this place, and he had assumed that she didn't want him around. Nathanael had seemed sweet. She really hoped she would be able to see him around again.

On the other side of the leaves, there were two exits, and Marinette chose the one that followed the light purple trail because it looked infinitely less ominous than the other, where the opening was clouded with shadow. It reminded her too much of the sand puzzles, and she'd rather not go through that again.

The light purple trail lead to a tiny room with a small wooden sign and a couple of spider webs. The sign was written in neat cursive writing that looped quite aesthetically.

 ** _Spider Bake Sale_**

 ** _All proceeds go to real spiders._**

Marinette looked around the sign at the spider webs on the wall. There were things in the spider webs, and they had small tags by them that were written in the same cursive script.

She stuffed her hands in her pockets, searching for spare money she didn't have. All she found was lint balls, her Miraculous Object, and one small gold coin she had no idea she had. When she leaned closer, she saw that the tags had prices on them, and one gold coin was not nearly enough to buy even the cheapest item, which was a Spider Donut.

Dejected, Marinette went back to the room before this one, not seeing any other exit in the spider room. She had no other choice but to walk through the ominous door.

It took her a while to work up the courage to go through the door, even though there was no way for sure it was like the doors with the sand puzzles, but she didn't like the idea of going through it any less. Here, it seemed, darkness was associated with bad things. And Marinette didn't want to get hurt again.

After a couple of minutes psyching herself up, she ran through the door, hoping that going fast would lessen any side effects of going in. But it seemed that all running did was make her look like an idiot because the next room was exactly like all the others.

There was a row of Froggits in the room, but they didn't seem keen to attack her, instead staring at her with curiosity.

The first Froggit looked at Marinette, and Marinette blushed, embarrassed that they all saw her stupid display of not needed fear.

"Are you being chased?" asked the first Froggit, and Marinette shook her head, her face burning. "Then why did you run?"

"I was scared of the dark entry way," Marinette said, her voice small and embarrassed. "I mean, it's just that-"

"It's okay, kid," the frog akuma said, and Marinette stopped, relieved by the reassurance in it's voice. "Dark places are okay to be scared of." Marinette gave a weak smile to the Froggit, and it seemed to return it. "Oh, kid, did you see the Spider Bake Sale back there? The spiders want to make sure everyone hears about it."

"Oh, yes," Marinette replied, happy that the subject changed. "Only, I couldn't buy anything. I'm not really sure how to get money to buy stuff," Marinette admitted, clasping her hands behind her back and looking down at the ground.

"It's alright, kid. Most of the time, humans that fall here aren't sure about a lot of stuff." Marinette was momentarily distracted by the way the Froggit had said 'humans.' As in, plural. Did that mean other humans have fallen before Marinette? "Money in the Ruins is fairly easy to gain," the Froggit continued, and Marinette started paying attention again.

"Really?"

"Yeah. Us akumas are pretty forgetful, so when you encounter us when we're trying to fight you and you defeat us, we might leave some of our money behind when we leave."

Marinette looked around at the other Froggits, who were nodding in agreement. "But shouldn't I just try and give it back to you?"

The Froggits laughed. "Nah, kid, if we dropped it, it's fair game for anyone who happens across it. And besides, most of the time, when we drop money, it usually means we're carrying too much. It keeps us grounded, you know?"

No, Marinette did not know. Where she came from, money was valuable and people got angry when someone took money that wasn't theirs. But she still nodded knowingly at the Froggit, thanking him for the information.

"Here, just to start you out so you can buy some spider stuff, I'll give you thirty gold."

"What?" Marinette asked, completely dumbstruck. "No, no, that's alright. I'll go back when I have enough."

"No, I insist," the Froggit said, shaking it's head. "The spiders get pretty angry when they think you're too selfish to donate to their cause. And besides, I had too much on me anyway."

"But still…" Marinette shook her head at the handful of coins the Froggit was offering her. "It seems like a lot to give away. And I feel bad taking something when I could just earn it myself."

"Trust me, I won't miss it."

Marinette begrudgingly took the coins, opening up the Miraculous Object and depositing the coins there, where they fit perfectly, even though they looked like they couldn't fit. "Thank you," Marinette said, and the Froggit shrugged with indifference.

"Now go back to the bake sale before you forget," the Froggit said, and Marinette nodded, going back the way she came.

In the bake sale room, she walked around the wooden signs and looked at the contents of the spider web. It seemed as though the spiders had only two items to offer, a spider donut and spider cider, priced seven gold and eighteen gold respectively.

Marinette pulled out her Miraculous Object, and opened the slot where she'd put the gold. Now that the generous Froggit had given her some gold, she could buy both products.

There was no salesperson in sight, so Marinette placed seven gold by the donut and eighteen gold by the cider, not knowing what else to do.

As soon as the gold touched the web, several tiny spiders came out from openings in the wall, taking the gold and crawling back into the openings. Other spiders crawled out of the openings and lifted both the cider and donut, offering them to Marinette.

"Thank you," Marinette said, taking the cider and donut with a slight bow.

The spiders waved her goodbye as she walked out of the room.

Now that she knew what was on the other side of the ominous looking door, she wasn't afraid at all, and she walked through it calmly, her head held high.

She nodded to the Froggit who had given her money, and the Froggit smiled at her. She walked to the next Froggit, who looked kind of sad.

"What's wrong?" Marinette asked, and the Froggit sighed deeply.

"My friends always ignore me…" The Froggit continued sighing dramatically, and Marinette felt bad even just being in the Froggit's presence.

"That's… unfortunate," Marinette said, not knowing what else to say. The Froggit sighed even more dramatically, and Marinette had a feeling it wasn't really up for talking at the moment.

She took a step to the next Froggit, but as soon as she did so, the sighing Froggit wailed dramatically. "See! Even _you_ do it!"

"I-I'm sorry," Marinette apologized, and the next Froggit rolled it's eyes.

"Don't pay attention to him. He'll get over it sooner or later; he always does."

"But-"

"When he gets in moods like this, there's no comforting him. Don't feel bad about it, kid."

"Oh, ok," Marinette said, reluctantly walking away from the sighing Froggit.

"So, kid," the Froggit started, leaning closer, "how do you feel about yellow names?"

"W-what?" Marinette asked, slightly intimidated by the way the Froggit was raising it's eyebrows at her, like it was trying to make her accept a deal.

The Froggit seemed to sense her discomfort and leaned back. "I mean when you encounter akumas. When they're ready to be spared, their name turns yellow. Do you like yellow, kid?"

"It's okay, I guess," she responded, shrugging her shoulders. "Why?"

"Well, I have this friend," the Froggit said, gesturing to a tiny Froggit by the back wall. It waved at Marinette. "He can call his friend, and, long story short, we can change the yellow names to a different color."

Marinette looked away from the tiny Froggit, waving her hand to dismiss the idea. "No, no, you don't have to go through that much trouble."

"You sure, kid? You seem like one of those humans who are too nice to accept offers. You sure you like yellow?"

She blushed, nodding her head. "Really, yellow is fine."

The Froggit shrugged. "If you say so, kid. But remember, the offer still stands."

"Thank you," Marinette said, still waving her hand, "but it's alright." The Froggit shrugged again and hopped over to the tiny Froggit and started talking to it, and, seeing that the conversation was over, Marinette walking to the next room, waving good bye to all the Froggits.

The first thing she saw were the multiple pits of sand. She felt her stomach churn.

Of course, it just _had_ to be sand.


	5. Chapter 4

Marinette walked to the center of the room, taking deep breaths. There were six sand pits in total, with two 'doors' that would take her back to this room if she fell down one of those pits.

The last couple of times she'd had to go through this type of puzzle, there was no way to avoid falling into the sand, and Marinette could sort of accept this. After all, she'd only had to fall two times (which, admittedly, was two times too many), but this room… Six sand pits? Did this seriously mean she'd have to fall _six_ times?

She looked around at the sand, feeling queasy already. It wasn't like she could avoid the sand; the exit was blocked by spikes, which meant that somewhere below, there was a switch.

It's not like she could put off doing this forever, but she did stand like an idiot in the middle of the room, trying to control her breathing.

She stood there for so long, a shy akuma approached her, causing the red heart to show it's metaphorical face once more. The akuma, whose name was apparently Whimsum, didn't look like it wanted to fight, and their name was already yellow.

"If it's okay by you," Marinette started, her voice sounding as weak as she felt, "I don't really feel like fighting." The Whimsum seemed to flush with relief, and the red heart returned to Marinette's chest, the warmth that flowed over her giving her a bit more confidence.

The Whimsum had left a single gold coin, and Marinette scooped it up, not even bothering to put it in her Miraculous Object, instead stuffing it in her pocket.

"Alright," Marinette said to no one in particular, "I can do this." She sounded a lot more sure than she felt.

And then she walked straight into the nearest sand pit.

There wasn't much in the small room, Marinette noticed after getting to her feet again. Just a pile of red leaves on one side and a thin door that lead up to the above room. There was also what looked like a carrot sticking out of the ground, and Marinette peered at it curiously.

Staring at it seemed to be the wrong thing to do, however, because it emerged from the ground with arms, legs, a face, and the white name 'Vegetoid' floating above its head. It was absolutely terrifying.

The red heart seeped out of her once more and rested casually on Marinette's shoulder. "Don't you normally distract the akumas while I figure out what to do?" she hissed at it, and it seemed to look up at her with an oddly content aura about it. Despite the heart not being able to say a word, Marinette understood it perfectly, rolling her eyes. "Yes, I need you. Go do your thing."

Meanwhile, the carrot had been manifesting white vegetables around itself, readying them to be launched at Marinette. As soon as the heart left her side, the vegetables changed their course to follow where the heart was floating. Marinette watched for a moment, just to make sure that the heart would be okay, then turned her attention to the Miraculous Object, which had started to beep.

A slip of paper dispensed from the side of the Object, and Marinette didn't call the heart over this time, figuring that it'd be too busy trying to avoid killer vegetables. As usual, there message on the slip of paper was concise and slightly worrying, the only word on the paper being _'dinner.'_

Before Marinette could wonder about this, however, a stabbing pain pierced through her entire body, radiating from the spot the heart normally seeped out of. She cried out, dropping down on one knee, clutching her chest, the paper fluttering out of her hands.

It took her a moment to regain her senses, and when she looked up, she saw that the heart had a slight crack, a tiny glowing red piece of it sparkling on the ground. The heart zoomed back to Marinette, followed closely by white vegetables.

The heart flew into her hands, and she held it close, hunching over to protect it as the vegetables pelted her, stinging and sticking to her painfully, feeling as though drops of acid were burning through her sweater. The heart glowed in her hands, and Marinette held it tighter, squeezing her eyes shut.

When the onslaught of vegetables seemed to slow, Marinette let go of the heart, and it hovered anxiously beside her as she stared down at the purple floor, blinking tears out of her eyes. She looked up at the Vegetoid when she could finally see clearly and didn't feel so near to passing out, its horrifying face not any less grotesque after the minutes of not looking at it.

"Dinner," she said with as much strength as she could muster, and she felt rather than saw the heart glow brighter beside her.

The Vegetoid seemed to consider this for a moment, and then it said in a high-pitched and oddly carrot-like voice, "eat your greens."

Marinette looked at the heart, which had positioned itself between her and the Vegetoid. Her breathing was heavy, and with every labored breath, the heart pulsed, glowing brighter until it was almost too bright to look at.

More white vegetables emitted from the Vegetoid, but there were also green ones. The heart dived to touch the green vegetables, and anytime it touched them, the green vegetable popped into dust, blowing over to Marinette.

The dust stuck to her, not unlike how LOVE does, but it didn't hurt or sting. It felt sort of cold, like when Tikki had healed her. The dust didn't really make her feel majorly better, but it did help some ease some of the pain.

As the heart continued popping green vegetables to dust, the Vegetoid's name turned yellow, and Marinette got to her feet somewhat unsteadily.

She reached a hand out to the heart, and it immediately flew back to her, melting into her chest once more. The Vegetoid told Marinette to eat healthily one more time before disappearing, leaving a pile of coins on the ground.

It felt sort of wrong to just take the money and not even _try_ and return it, but Marinette trusted the Froggits. Just because humans weren't nice above ground doesn't mean that akumas can't be nice underground.

Her head was spinning, and it took her a while to stagger toward the pile of coins, even if it was no more than five feet away. It's not as if she had forgotten what LOVE felt like, but thinking about how it felt and actually experiencing it were two different things.

As she stuffed the money in her Miraculous Object, she realized that she'd have to go through the other sand pits because there was no switch to be found here. She rested her forehead against the cool bricks of the wall, feeling as if she might scream or cry or laugh or maybe all three.

Even though her head had stopped spinning, it still hurt like hell, and her back felt like it was on fire because of those stupid white vegetables. Her knees wobbled a bit as she carefully walked her way to the door clouded in shadow (which was no more than five feet away, but took a lot of effort non the less), and she stepped through, her head feeling like it might split open any moment.

She didn't know how long it took her to finally find the switch, but it felt like an eternity. Maybe that was just because of how much effort it took to move around.

A couple more Vegetoids, Froggits, and Whimsums had approached her, but since she knew how to take care of them, she didn't get hurt badly again.

When Marinette had finally found the switch, she almost cried with relief, flipping it as quickly as possible so that she could get out of that stupid sand room sooner rather than later.

The next room had a definite lack of sand, which Marinette was grateful for. There were a couple of columns scattered around the room, seemingly at random, and each column had a colored switch by it.

A sign was by the door, and there were a bunch of words on it, but Marinette could only read some.

 _ **It's not a change of rooms, just a change of perspective.**_

 _ **If you can read this, press the red switch.**_

Marinette walked over to the red switch and kicked it with her foot because, even though she felt a little bit better, she was still exhausted and the majority of her body still hurt.

The spikes at the end of the room retracted, and when she walked through the exit, almost the same room as before was in front of her, except that the columns and switches seemed to be in different places.

She stood there for a moment, trying to figure out what had happened. And then she almost slapped herself because of how stupid she was.

The sign from before had said something about perspective, so somehow, the akuma who made this puzzle managed to create a room that looped but changed perspective slightly every time someone tried to leave.

If this was true, there should be another sign that says which switch makes the spikes go away.

And, of course, there was one.

The room changed perspectives three more times, but not once did it make Marinette feel sick, which she was thankful for. A couple of akumas tried to fight her, but she knew exactly what to do with every single one of them, so they 'fights' were over quickly with no one getting hurt.

There was a corridor after the perspective room, and it had a forked path; one path covered in red leaves, and the other just a regular purple path.

Marinette took the purple path, which lead to a small room with a Froggit sitting in the corner.

"Oh, hey," the Froggit greeted, and Marinette walked over, intrigued that she didn't have to greet it first when it wasn't trying to fight her. "You're that human that fell, right? Friends with Tikki?"

"Yeah," Marinette replied, leaning down to make better eye contact with the Froggit.

"Are you looking for her?"

"Uh…" Marinette wasn't looking for anything in particular – just something other than the boring purple corridor she'd been left in, really. "Yeah, I'm looking for her."

"I just saw her come in through there a little while ago," the Froggit said, gesturing over to the exit of the room.

"Oh, okay, thank you!" The Froggit shrugged, looking away from Marinette. It looked pleased.

Marinette walked through the door, which looked slightly ominous because of the shadowed entryway. But she had learned that not every shadowed doorway lead to darkness or sand pits, so she walked through with her head held high.

On the other side of the doorway was just a small rectangular room. _Why would Tikki go to this room?_ Marinette wondered, seeing nothing really special about it. There was a mural on one of the walls, but that was pretty much it.

She was about to leave when something shiny lying in the corner of the room caught her eye. As she stepped closer, she recognized the shape of the object, and she felt her stomach clench.

"Tikki would probably want this picked up," Marinette whispered, staring at the knife on the floor. She stared at it for a long while, making no move to pick it up. Her hands started to shake. "It's dangerous just laying around," she said, louder this time, her hands balling into fists.

It took her a full minute to psyche herself up enough to pick up the knife, and even then, it was by the tips of her fingers. She took out her Miraculous Object and opened up the storage part of it, dropping it in as quickly as she could.

She left the room quickly, her pocket heavier than normal. Or maybe that was just her imagination.

When she got out of the rectangular room, she gave a small wave to the Froggit, and then walked back to the corridor, this time taking the path with the red leaves.

The familiar crunch of the leaves soothed her as she walked, but it was over too soon, the path leading into the next room, where the red leaves stopped.

There was an old tree in the middle of the path, and it was so large, it blocked Marinette's view of what lay beyond it. A pile of red leaves surrounded it, and, as Marinette watched, a red leaf grew on one of the tree's bare branches, then fell off, adding itself to the pile on the ground.

This happened a couple more times, and Marinette stared, absolutely mesmerized.

And then there was an incessant beeping from her pocket, pulling her back to reality.

Marinette was about to pull out her Miraculous Object, but then she saw Tikki fly out from behind the tree, a very tiny phone in her hand and a surprised look on her face. "Marinette!"

"Hi, Tikki," Marinette said, suddenly feeling very embarrassed about leaving the corridor Tikki had left her in.

"I was just calling you to say I was on my way to go get you!" Marinette flushed, looking down at the ground. "But I see that wasn't necessary," she said, laughing a little.

Tikki lead her around the strange tree, and on the other side was a small and homely cottage with red leaves on the sides instead of bushes.

In the red leaves, there was another save point, and Marinette hurried over to it, touching it with the tip of her finger.

Immediately, a cooling sensation enveloped her entire body, especially at her back, where she'd gotten so used to the wounds there that she'd forgotten about them. She sighed with relief, her entire body feeling lighter.

 _ **Seeing such a cute, tiny cottage fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Marinette took a moment longer for herself, stretching and running in place, ecstatic at the healing the save point had provided. Sure, she'd known that the sparkle saved whatever this situation was, but she had no idea that it could also heal her, like Tikki did.

Her breathing was heavy, but in a good way, when she pressed 'yes.'

When Marinette followed Tikki into the tiny cottage, a wave of nostalgia seemed to punch her in the face. "Is… Is that cinnamon and butterscotch I smell?" Marinette asked, her voice small. The mix of sweet smells assaulting her nose reminded her so much of…

Tikki looked a little embarrassed, turning around to face Marinette with a grin. "Surprise," she giggled. "I wanted to make you a pie to welcome you here. A cinnamon butterscotch pie."

The smell made Marinette want to cry, but she breathed it in like it would be the last thing she could smell, her eyes closed, her eyebrows furrowed.

"It's still hot, so I won't serve you any now, but later you can have a slice." Marinette opened her eyes, smiling at Tikki softly.

"Thank you," she said, and her voice broke just a little.

Tikki didn't ask, but Marinette got the feeling that she knew what she was feeling. "While it cools, I'll show you to your room."

"I have a room?"

"Of course you do, child," Tikki said, and Marinette felt like crying again. She followed Tikki to a yellow painted hallway, with three doors on the left. Tikki stopped at the first room.

"Is this one mine?"

"Yes, child. A room of your own." Marinette stared at the door, and Tikki stared with her, floating over so that she was beside her. After a moment, she patted Marinette's head softly. The pat provided enough encouragement for Marinette to step forward, opening the door to the room.

It looked sort of strange, decorated in a myriad of ways, but it looked nice and so lived in and wonderful. Marinette sat on the bed, which had what looked like a hand-made quilt on it.

"You must be tired after walking all that way to find me," Tikki said, and Marinette nodded absently, her eyes scanning over the room. She didn't really focus on anything, though, because now that she was sitting on something comfortable and soft, she wanted close her heavy eyes melt into plush mattress.

"I'll be in the sitting room if you need me," Tikki said, and Marinette nodded once more, laying back, her head resting on the pillow. Already, her eyes were starting to close, and she might've heard Tikki say "sweet dreams, child," but she couldn't be sure because she was already falling asleep.

When Marinette woke up some time later, the room was dark. She glanced around, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

The first thing that caught her eye was a slice of sweet smelling pie on a dainty white plate on the floor in the middle of the room.

The smell made Marinette's eyes water, and she got out of bed, picking the plate up and wiping her eyes. Up close, the pie smelled even better, and she felt her heart clench.

She didn't want to eat it now, so she took out her Miraculous Object, wondering if she could put it in there somehow for safe keeping. When she opened it up, there was a Tupperware container sitting right next to the knife she picked up earlier.

Ignoring the knife to her best ability, she got out the Tupperware container, wondering how it got there. _Magic?_ Marinette wondered, carefully placing the slice of cinnamon butterscotch pie in the container.

There was a lamp in the corner of the room, and Marinette put away her Miraculous Object, walking over to the lamp to turn it on. The room instantly filled with light – so much light, in fact, that Marinette found it hard to believe that all the light had come from one regular lamp.

 _Probably magic,_ she thought, turning away from the lamp to look around the room. There were drawings tacked to the wall showing akumas and humans standing side by side, holding hands and smiling. Some of the drawings looked as if someone very young had drawn them, and Marinette felt her heart clench a little bit. She had been scared falling down here; she couldn't imagine how scared a small child would be.

One drawing, however, didn't look as if a kid had drawn it. The pencil strokes were intentional and neat, and Marinette took it down from the wall, examining it closer.

A girl was standing next to a guy, and his arm was looped around her shoulders. They both seemed to be laughing, but the odd thing about the drawing was that the girl was wearing a mask. Not a full-face mask, just a domino one, but it was still strange.

Marinette stared at the drawing for a moment longer, and then set it down on the dresser, which had a collection of knick-knacks and red leaves on it, before wandering around the rest of the room.

There was a box full of toys by the bed, and Marinette picked some of them up, recognizing them from her own childhood. There were so many toys, all of them looking old and worn.

She set the toys down with trembling hands.

Walking out of the room back to the yellow hallway, Marinette decided that before she went to Tikki to thank her for the pie, she's look around the cottage for a bit, for no reason in particular except that she was curious.

The next room in the hallway was painted a pale pink, and, without even having to make sure, Marinette knew that it was Tikki's. There was a painting of a purple butterfly hanging on the wall, and a couple of certificates for the 'Number 1 Nose-Nuzzle Champions.'

There was a bed in the corner, but it was regular sized. Definitely bigger than what Tikki would need. Marinette wondered who Tikki had won the nose-nuzzle competition with and whether they shared the bed with Tikki.

On the desk, there was a journal laying open with a passage circled in red. Marinette stepped closer, leaning down to read the passage.

 _ **You know why I want to learn sign language?**_

 _ **I've heard it's pretty HANDY.**_

Marinette made a face, immediately backing away from the journal. After a couple of seconds, she decided that it shouldn't hurt to look at the other things written on the page the journal was open to.

Which was a mistake.

Every single other passage was just cringe-worthy puns that made Marinette want to scream.

She left the room without looking at much else.

The last door in the yellow hallway had a sign on it that said it was under renovation, and Marinette kind of wondered why Tikki would need to put a sign like that up in her own house.

Marinette was about to turn around to go find Tikki when she noticed that there was a mirror hanging on the wall next to the door with the sign on it. She walked to it curiously, wondering how she looked after falling to the Ruins, forcefully being given LOVE, and falling through several sand puzzles.

The answer to her wondering was this: like shit. She looked like shit.

Her hair was an absolute mess, her bangs sticking up in strange ways and the pigtails she had put her hair in some time ago didn't even look like they existed anymore. Her pink sweater had been torn and burned through on the back, and there was a bloodstain on the arm she'd hurt when she fell.

She took a moment to run her fingers through her hair, and then fix it back into the pigtails she had originally had it in. She had no idea how to fix her sweater, so she left it as it was, but now that she was aware of the holes in the back, she felt a draft tickle her back.

When she was done fixing her hair, her arms fell back to her sides and she stared at her reflection. _It's me,_ she found herself thinking, and it felt true. Before, when she'd seen herself in a mirror, she'd tried not to look.

But now, she felt like herself, even though her sweater was ruined and her hair was a mess. Her blue eyes sparkled, and she found herself smiling.

She turned away from the mirror, the smile still on her face.

Tikki had said that she would be in the sitting room, so Marinette walked through the yellow hallway to the entrance, and then to the next room.

There was a dining table with three chairs around it, and a fireplace with a plush chair by it. Tikki was sitting in the chair, looking even smaller than normal compared to the book she was reading and the chair she was sitting in.

Marinette saw that there was another door out of the room, and she decided to look in there before talking to Tikki.

So she walked to doorway, waving to Tikki as she did so. Tikki was so immersed in her book that she didn't notice.

On the other side of the doorway was a small kitchen, and Marinette smelled the cinnamon butterscotch pie again. The pie was sitting on the counter by the stove, and Marinette saw that a slice was missing. Her hand drifted to her pocket, where her Miraculous Object was.

The stove looked strangely clean, and Marinette's thoughts defaulted to how she normally explained the strange things in this place. _Probably magic._

There was a refrigerator in the corner of the kitchen, and Marinette opened it for not other reason except she just wanted to know what kind of food Tikki kept here. All there was in the fridge was one chocolate bar.

Marinette closed the fridge, figuring it was none of business what kind of eating habits Tikki had, but still wondering nonetheless.

She walked back to the sitting room, this time kneeling in front of Tikki to catch her attention.

"Oh, hello, child," Tikki said, looking up from the book. "Awake already?"

She nodded. "Thank you for the pie," Marinette said, and Tikki smiled. For a moment, neither of them seemed to know what to say, but then a thought occurred to Marinette. "Tikki… How do I leave the Ruins?"

Tikki blanched, the smile leaving her face. And then she laughed nervously. "I'm reading a very interesting book about ladybugs, would you like to hear a fact?"

Marinette shook her head, frowning at Tikki's not-so-subtle change in topics. "No, that's okay. How do I get out of the Ruins?"

The fake smile that Tikki had plastered on her tiny face faltered. "Are… Are you sure you don't want to hear a ladybug fact?"

"I'm sure." Marinette paused, looking over Tikki. Why didn't she want to answer this question? "Tikki… Please tell me. How do I leave the Ruins?"

Instead of trying to deflect the question again, Tikki abruptly flew up and over Marinette's head. "Child, I have to do something important. How about you enjoy a slice of pie while I am away?"

She zoomed out of the room, and Marinette quickly scrambled up out of her kneeling position, following Tikki.

In the main room, there were stairs leading down that Marinette hadn't bothered to pay attention to, and Tikki zoomed down those stairs, Marinette quickly following.

When Marinette was done climbing down the stairs, a long dark purple corridor lay before her, Tikki nowhere in sight. The corridor felt strangely ominous, and Marinette shivered, walking slowly.

"Tikki?" she called, her voice weak with fear. As she kept walking, she saw Tikki floating in the air a couple of feet away, her head hung.

"You want to return 'home,' don't you?" She paused, but Marinette didn't say anything, instead taking a step closer. "Ahead of us lies the exit to the Ruins. A doorway to the rest of the underground." Again, she paused, and she seemed to draw her tiny shoulders up, looking straight ahead. "I'm going to destroy it."

"Wha-?"

"No one will ever be able to leave again," Tikki interrupted. "Now be a good child and go upstairs." She flew off again, and Marinette quickly lost sight of her in the dark.

Marinette stood still for a moment, wondering if she could do as Tikki said. Her hand drifted to her pocket, where the Miraculous Object that held the cinnamon butterscotch pie rested. She walked forward, following Tikki.

Soon, she caught sight of her again. It almost seemed as if she knew Marinette wouldn't follow her directions and waited for her to catch up.

"Every human that falls meets the same fate," Tikki said softly, and her voice carried through the still air to Marinette like a cold wind. "I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die." On the last word, her voice broke.

"Tikki-"

"You naïve child… If you leave the Ruins… They – no – _Plagg_ will kill you." Fear settled in Marinette's bones. "I'm only protecting you, Marinette. Don't you understand?" Tikki hung her head again. "Please go back to your room."

Again she flew away, and again Marinette followed, ignoring her directions.

"Don't try to stop me," Tikki said when Marinette caught up with her again. "This is your final warning." She flew away. Marinette followed.

The corridor ended in a small room, a giant dark purple door on one wall.

Tikki whirled around, finally looking at Marinette. "You wan to leave so badly?" she demanded, her voice sharp and angry. "You're just like the others," she said, and her voice cracked again.

"Tikki, please-"

"There's only one solution to this. Prove yourself. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive."

"What?"

The red heart appeared once more, and Marinette finally realized what was going on. "Tikki, no. Don't do this." Tikki remained in front of her, her face set determinedly.

"Please, let's just…" Normally, her Miraculous Object told her what to do. It remained silent. "Let's just talk this out," Marinette said, her voice desperate. Tikki didn't say anything.

White magic manifested around Tikki, and both Marinette and the heart recoiled in fear. The magic flew at her in merciless and calculated attacks, and Marinette gasped in pain when it hit her arm, burning a new hole in her sweater.

Tikki took a deep breath.

"Please," Marinette gasped, but she couldn't think of anything else to say.

Another wave of magic flew at her, and she managed to avoid it, barely, but she knew it couldn't continue like this forever.

"Don't make me do this," Marinette said softly, taking out her Miraculous Object. Tikki didn't say anything as Marinette took out the knife she'd found. "Please don't," Marinette begged, close to tears.

Another magic attack. Tears rolled down Marinette's cheeks.

She lunged forward sloppily, blinding by her tears, but she felt the knife hit Tikki. Magic hit both Marinette and the heart, and she struggled to stay standing, swinging blindly again.

She was sobbing, begging, crying, but Tikki wasn't saying anything. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Marinette repeated over and over again, her vision blurry with pain and tears.

The heart was floating frantically beside her, trying to lead Tikki's attacks away from her, but it was only working a little bit.

 _"Please,"_ Marinette begged again, swinging one final time, the heart pulsing. The white magic dissipated. Tikki fell to the floor. Marinette gasped, dropping to her knees, fat tears streaming from her eyes. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," she said, her voice broken and weak.

"You… You're stronger than I thought," Tikki gasped, and Marinette bowed her head, her breathing coming out in short, painful bursts.

"Listen to me, child… If you go past this door, keep walking as far as you can. Eventually, you'll reach an exit." She paused, her breathing heavy. Marinette let out a loud sob. "Plagg… Do not let Plagg take your Miraculous. His plan cannot be allowed to succeed."

Marinette cupped her hands around Tikki, lifting her up as softly as she could. "Be good, won't you?" Tikki whispered. Her clouded eyes focused on Marinette and a small smile flickered on her lips. "My child…"

Tikki dissolved into dust, leaving only a glowing white heart. Marinette cried out, throwing her head back and letting out a scream that was far from human.

Her own red heart floated beside the white heart, and slowly, a crack appeared in the white heart. It broke.

Marinette put her hands on her face, pressing her fingers into her eyes, trying to stop the crying. She barely noticed when her heart melted into her chest. It didn't feel warm.

It took a while for her to stand up and keep going. This was her own decision, but it still hurt. It still felt like a mistake.

She stood on shaking legs, her breathing still coming out in shallow bursts. She walked through the door.

Another long purple corridor sprawled out before her, and Marinette walked through it without taking much notice of it. The purple corridor dissolved into darkness.

Except for a small patch of illuminated green grass, where a purple butterfly was floating.

Hawkmoth giggled when he saw Marinette's heart broken expression. "I hope you're happy about what you've done," he said, and Marinette felt her heart break all over again. "After all, it's not as if you can go back and change fate."

She wished she could. God, how she wished she could.

"I've told you before, haven't I? It's kill or be killed here." Tears rolled down Marinette's cheeks again. She made no effort to wipe them away. "That old hag thought she didn't have to play by the rules. She tried _so_ hard to save every human, but when it came down to it…"

Hawkmoth trailed off, giggling again. His flying became erratic. "She couldn't even save herself!" Hawkmoth cackled, and Marinette gasped, covering her face with her hands. "What an idiot!" Hawkmoth cackled even harder, and then he disappeared.

Marinette wiped her eyes, but to no avail; the tears kept coming. She was a mess, tears dripping from her nose to the ground, her hands shaking, and her entire body so weak she collapsed on the ground.

"I want to go back!" she screamed, her voice sounding like it had been torn apart. "I need to go back!" She repeated this over and over again until her throat burned angrily, and her fingers were shaking so badly, she could barely even wipe her eyes.

"She shouldn't have died," Marinette whispered, her throat burning. "It's all my fault… It's all my fault."

A dizzying sensation enveloped her, and when she looked up, she wasn't in the dark room anymore.

She was sitting in a pile of red leaves, a sparkling save point right in front of her.

An almost painful hope tore at her heart, and she whirled around to see Tikki looking at her with kind eyes and a concerned look on her face.

"Marinette, are you alright? You look as if you've seen a ghost."


	6. Chapter 5

Marinette gasped, and, even though her throat felt like it was in tatters and her eyes felt numb from crying, she felt more tears coming. Instead of answering Tikki's question, Marinette just touched the tip of her shaking finger to the save point, freezing the world so that it wouldn't see her break down for the third time.

She sat on her feet, her hands folded neatly in her lap and her head hung, tears dripping down her nose and shuddering breaths clawing her lungs. Everything hurt, but when she looked up and saw Tikki floating and alive, it hurt a little less.

After a period of time Marinette thought of as hours but was probably only minutes, she managed to get herself under control, wiping at her eyes and taking deep breaths. She tapped the 'yes' button when she was sure she wasn't in danger of crying yet again.

Tikki unfroze, still looking at Marinette with that concerned look. "You look horrible, Marinette," she said, zooming closer. "Was your sweater always so torn and haggard?"

Marinette bit the inside of her cheek hard enough to taste blood, putting on a smile like a mask. "I'm just really clumsy," she replied, her voice shaking.

"How about we get you inside," Tikki said, her voice still very worried. "You can rest in your room."

"I have a room?" Marinette asked, although she already knew the answer.

"Of course you do, child," Tikki said, the worry on her face parting like clouds for just a moment to show a smile. "And when you are done resting, I made a treat for you," she said as they entered the house. Marinette was assaulted by the scent of cinnamon and butterscotch and memories.

"Cinnamon and butterscotch?" she asked, even though she knew the answer. She felt the need to act at least a little bit like before, for whatever reason.

"Surprise," Tikki said, although she didn't sound as enthusiastic as before. Marinette felt guilt stab her in the chest.

Tikki lead her to her room, and Marinette followed obediently, despite already knowing where to go. "Thank you, Tikki," Marinette whispered as she walked into the room, the words an effort to get out around the lump in her throat.

"Rest, child," was Tikki's only reply, a small smile gracing her face as she gently pushed Marinette to the bed. "I'll be in the sitting room if you need me."

Marinette crawled under the covers, the warmth temporarily soothing her sore body. She hadn't realized how cold the holes in her sweater made her until they were covered up.

"Sweet dreams, my child," Tikki whispered, placing a soft kiss on Marinette's forehead. "Rest well."

Even though she was exhausted, Marinette couldn't even close her eyes. Her throat was tight with guilt and her eyes burned every time she blinked.

 _This is so wrong,_ she thought, squeezing her eyes shut and pulling the blankets up. _I killed her. And now I'm taking advantage of her kindness. Again._

After a couple of minutes, the door to her room opened, a shaft of light from the yellow hallway fell across the floor. Tikki floated in, hefting a dainty white plate with a piece of pie on it into the room.

Marinette quickly closed her eyes, forcing her breathing to slow so that it seemed she was asleep. She heard a soft grunt, and after a moment, the light disappeared from the room once more.

When Marinette was sure Tikki was gone, she sat up, throwing off the covers and sitting down next to the plate. The smell of cinnamon and butterscotch tickled her nose. She picked up the plate with shaking hands.

 _I killed her._

 _She doesn't know._

 _But I killed her._

 _And she gave me pie._

Tears dripped onto the dainty white plate.

Marinette opened her eyes. She wasn't in her room, but in a gray area. There was nothing in sight.

"What…?"

She sat up, rubbing her eyes and looking around. "Where am I?" Nowhere, it seemed.

Something bright red appeared before her. Marinette covered her eyes, squinting through the red light. "What the-"

"Hello, Marinette," the figure said, and Marinette started to see through the light.

"How do you know my name?" She couldn't make out any features of the person's face, just that they were wearing a red domino mask with black polka dots and a body suit with the same pattern. "Who are you? Why can't I see your face?"

The person chuckled, and lifted a blurred and gray hand, covering the place their mouth would've been if Marinette could see it. "You ask a lot of questions, don't you?"

"I just want to know what's going on," Marinette replied, her voice guarded as she arranged her legs into a sitting position.

"That's fair," the person replied, shrugging. "I don't know how I know your name. I just do. Who I am isn't really important. You can't see my face because, well, it's not important."

"That doesn't make sense."

"Don't blame me. This is _your_ dream state. I'm just here to crash the party." Marinette squinted at the person, and they laughed. "Okay, so it isn't much of a party."

"It isn't even a party. We're the only ones here."

"Parties aren't restricted to how many people attend," the person replied, holding up a finger. Somehow, Marinette felt herself soften up to the person, relaxing her shoulders.

"Why are you here in my dream state?" she asked, her voice considerably less hostile than before.

The person, who had held a jovial air about them until now, seemed to sober up, the red glow emitting from their bodysuit turning sharp. Marinette still couldn't see their face.

"I'm here to tell you something important." A pause. Marinette stared at the person expectantly. No follow up came.

"And what is this something?" Marinette prompted, and the person jumped, a soft 'oh!' slipping off their tongue.

"You made a mistake first time around, didn't you?" the person asked, and Marinette lowered her eyes to her hands.

"I killed Tikki," she whispered. "You'd hardly call that a simple 'mistake.' It's murder." The person's glow softening, they placed a gray and blurry hand on Marinette's knee.

"You didn't know what else to do. But now you know better."

"Yes," Marinette answered, lifting her head. "All this came about because I tried to leave. I just have to stay, and Tikki will live. I won't be forced to…" Her voice, which had been determined, trailed away, and her eyes flickered down. "I won't be forced to do what I did this time."

The person shook their head sadly. "You have the right idea, but… It's not the right action," they said, and Marinette recoiled.

"What do you mean?"

"This is the important thing I came to tell you. You want to let Tikki destroy the exit to the Ruins, but that can't happen. You can't stay."

Marinette thought she smelled cinnamon and butterscotch. Her eyes started to feel wet. "Why not?"

"It's not your destiny. The akumas need a savior."

"Why can't _you_ be the savior?" Marinette asked, choking on her words. "You obviously know what you're doing."

The person just shook their head sadly, the grip on Marinette's knee tightened. "I can't. It has to be you. _You_ are the one that can save the akumas and free them from their underground prison. _You_ are the one that can destroy the barrier. Only you."

A tear rolled down Marinette's cheek. "That's so much responsibility. I can't do it." The person looked as if they were about to object, but Marinette shook her head firmly. "No. I killed someone. _On accident._ How am I supposed to handle the responsibility of an entire species when I can't even save _one_ person?"

The person, wiped Marinette's face, and she felt the rough texture of the glowing bodysuit rub her cheek softly. "I'm here to tell you that you _can_ do it."

"No."

Lifting their other hand from Marinette's knee, the person gripped her face tightly, their fingertips pressing into her head. "If you do not follow your destiny when you wake up right now, I'll be back. And if you don't do it again, I'll be back then, too."

"Why?" Marinette asked softly, staring into the person's gray and blurred face.

"Because it is your destiny to save the akumas. Or destroy them."

"What?" Marinette gasped, fear gripping at her. "What does that mean?"

"Good intentions result in good outcomes. The opposite is also true. It would do you well to remember that. _Au revoir_ , Marinette." Before she could protest, the person removed their hands from Marinette's face, and her eyes snapped open.

She was laying on the floor of her room, a slice of cinnamon butterscotch pie sitting a plate right in front of her.

It was a while before Marinette actually left her room. She had tried to go back to sleep (on the bed this time), but had ended up just staring up at the ceiling. When she had finally admitted that she was awake and would stay that way, she had sat up and leaned against the headboard, staring at nothing in particular.

The person's words kept flowing through her head. _Destiny? Hah, the only destiny I have is to screw everything up,_ Marinette had thought bitterly. And then her eyes had flicked down to the cinnamon butterscotch pie that was still on the floor, it's sweet scent filling up the room. _Or maybe not._

And that's when Marinette decided to leave the room.

Before she left, she put the pie in her Miraculous Object with great care, a strange feeling overcoming her. It wasn't a bad feeling, she decided, and wanted more of whatever it was.

Instead of exploring the house like before, she went straight to Tikki, setting her jaw and strengthening her resolve.

"Tikki?"

She looked up from her book, smiling kindly. "Awake already?"

"How do I leave the Ruins?" Marinette asked before Tikki could say anything else. When Tikki didn't say anything, just stared at Marinette in surprise, Marinette kneeled down in front of her, closing the book. "Please tell me."

"I… What?" Tikki asked, blinking fast.

"Please tell me how I leave the Ruins."

"You don't… You don't want to hear a ladybug fact?"

Marinette shook her head. "I just want to know how to leave the Ruins."

Tikki stared at Marinette for a moment, and she saw something harden in Tikki's face. "Child, I have something very important to do. Please wait for me in your room." She zoomed away, and Marinette quickly stood, following her.

When she was about to run down the stairs to chase Tikki, she paused, looking back in the direction of her room.

 _I could stay._

 _But aren't you curious as to what might happen next?_

Marinette jogged down the stairs.

The fear she remembered feeling having first walked into the long purple corridor was only a shadow in the back of her mind as she approached Tikki.

"You want to return 'home,' don't you?" Tikki asked, and once again, Marinette said nothing. "Ahead of us lies the exit to the Ruins. A doorway to the rest of the underground." She paused, drawing her tiny shoulders up. "I'm going to destroy it."

Marinette stepped closer, but she didn't say anything.

"No one will ever be able to leave again. Now be a good child and go upstairs." Tikki zoomed ahead, and Marinette followed, taking one last glace behind her as she did so.

"Every human that falls meets the same fate," Tikki said when Marinette had caught up. "I have seen it again and again. They come. They leave. They die." Despite her resolve, Marinette shivered.

"You naïve child… If you leave the Ruins… They – no – _Plagg_ will kill you." Marinette squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, trying to regain that feeling of strength she'd had before. "I'm only trying to protect you. Don't you understand?" Tikki hung her head. "Please go back to your room."

Marinette followed Tikki as she zoomed away.

"Don't try and stop me. This is your final warning." Again she zoomed away, and again Marinette followed.

They reached the end of the corridor, the large and foreboding door framing Tikki and her slight red glow. Marinette took a deep breath.

Tikki whirled around, setting Marinette with stone cold eyes. "You want to leave so badly?" she demanded, and Marinette almost nodded, but decided not to. "You're just like the others," Tikki said, her voice cracking.

For a moment, they stared at each other, Tikki expecting Marinette to say something. She didn't.

"There's only one solution to this. Prove yourself. Prove to me that you are strong enough to survive."

Marinette dropped to her knees as the red heart appeared once more. Tikki summoned a ball of magic. Marinette braced herself, wrapping her hands around the heart and clutching it to her chest, staring Tikki in the eye as the ball of magic hit her shoulder.

She didn't cry out, just winced as another hole burned itself into her sweater. The heart in her hands pulsed. Tikki took a deep breath, summoning more magic.

It continued.

Sometimes Marinette dodged the attacks, sometimes she didn't. She kept herself steady, her hands around the heart giving her strength.

"What are you doing?" Tikki asked after she burned another hole in Marinette's clothing. Marinette said nothing, keeping her eyes on Tikki. "Fight back!"

She threw another magic ball at Marinette, and she dodged, her eyes never leaving Tikki.

Tikki recoiled, the magic around her wavering. Seeing the opportunity, Marinette let go of the heart, reaching into her pocket and taking out the Miraculous Object. The heart hid in her hair, it's glow warming Marinette's cheek.

Slowly, she opened up the Miraculous, pulling out the object right next to the pie that, even now, emitted a sweet scent. Tikki's eyes widened as Marinette tossed the knife over her shoulder.

The magic around Tikki flickered, and then went out. For a moment, they stared at each other, and then Tikki summoned back the magic.

"Attack or run away," she said, her voice breaking as she launching the magic at Marinette, who dodged the attacks swiftly and expertly. "What are you proving to me this way?" she demanded, and Marinette said nothing, avoiding her next attack.

But it seemed she didn't have to.

The magic attacks avoided her completely.

Marinette felt her face contort in confusion for just a moment, but she wiped the expression from her face, staring Tikki in the eye. Tikki threw another magic attack, the attack again avoiding Marinette. Tikki wouldn't look at Marinette.

"Stop looking at me that way."

More magic attacks avoided Marinette, who did nothing, still staring at Tikki with burning eyes.

"Go away," Tikki said, her voice breaking.

When Tikki didn't say anything after another magic attack that avoided Marinette entirely, a thought occurred to Marinette.

 _Maybe… Maybe I should tell her that I'm not fighting her because I killed her in the past,_ Marinette thought, reaching a hand out to a ball of magic that shied away from her fingertip. _No… I can't do that. That's creepy. I just have to keep going this way._

Marinette looked at Tikki, who's expression looked as if she was in deep pain.

Finally, after one final attack that avoided Marinette, Tikki sighed, the magic around her dissipating. "I… I know you want to go home, but…" She paused. Marinette looked down at the red heart, which glowed brightly still. "Please go upstairs now," Tikki begged. Marinette did nothing.

"I promise I'll take good care of you here."

Marinette had no doubts about that, but she still stayed where she was.

"I know we don't have much, but… We can have a good life here." Marinette felt her heart break a little. She still did nothing.

"Why are you making this so difficult?" Tikki demanded, her voice tired. "Please. Go upstairs."

Tikki frowned when Marinette once again did nothing. And then she started to laugh weakly. "Pathetic, is it not? I can't even save a single child." Marinette chose not to say anything again, taking a step closer.

After a moment, Tikki sighed. "No, I understand. You would just be unhappy trapped down here."

Marinette looked down, her eyebrows furrowing, before looking back up at Tikki.

"The Ruins are very small once you get used to them," Tikki admitted. "It would not be right for you to stay in a place like this."

She paused, and once again, Marinette said nothing.

"My expectations… My loneliness… My fear… For you, child, I will set them aside." Marinette felt her heart lift. Literally. The red heart glowed brightly as it untangled itself from her hair and floated in front of Marinette.

Silence. The red heart seeped back into Marinette's chest. A warm sensation flowed into her.

"If you truly wish to leave," Tikki said, turning around to face the door. "I will not stop you." She paused. Marinette got the feeling that she was working up her courage to say something. "However," Tikki started, her voice hesitant, "Please do not come back."

"What?" Marinette asked, her voice weak as she stepped back.

"I hope that someday you may understand why I want it to be this way," Tikki said, turning around and floating to her. Marinette lifted her hands, and Tikki settled herself in them, looking at Marinette with sad eyes. She patted Marinette's hands, and then floated up to Marinette's face, giving her a small kiss on the forehead. It felt like a feather brushing against her skin.

"Goodbye, my child." She floated away, pausing for a moment and looking back at Marinette before zooming the rest of the way through the long purple corridor.

Marinette wasn't sure how long she sat there, a lump forming in the back of her throat. She knew that this was the favorable outcome, but that didn't mean it hurt any less.

Her Miraculous beeped, and Marinette pulled it out, curiosity pulling at her mind. Normally, it only beeped when she was in a fight or someone was calling her. Tikki's number was the only one she had, but she had already made it clear she didn't want to contact Marinette.

When she took it out, it immediately opened up to the storage compartment, and resting beside the cinnamon butterscotch pie were neatly folded clothes, a daintily written note on top of it.

 _ **I noticed your clothes are getting a bit worn out.**_

 _ **Please use these so that you are kept clothed.**_

 _ **Stay safe, my child.**_

Marinette put aside the note, tears forming in her eyes as she took out the clothes. There was a red sweater with black polka dots made of a curious material that felt soft, but also strong at the same time, and a pair of black shorts made of a similar material.

She changed into them quickly, stuffing her old sweater and shorts into her Miraculous for safekeeping. They were ruined beyond repair, but Marinette felt it was wasteful if she just threw them away.

And then she walked through the door, her head held high.

A similar set up greeted her; pitch darkness and one single patch of light illuminating a large purple butterfly.

"Clever," Hawkmoth said, and Marinette shivered. " _Very_ clever." Marinette kept herself steady, not daring to show Hawkmoth how afraid she was.

"You think you're _really_ smart, don't you? In this world, it's kill or be killed," he said with a casualty that made Marinette want to barf. "So you were able to play by your own rules. You spared the life of a single person," he said, and he started to giggle, his flying becoming erratic.

"But don't act so cocky. _I know what you did."_ Marinette froze, the fear she had been trying so hard to keep hidden showing itself on her face. "You _murdered_ her. And then you went back because you regretted it."

"No," Marinette whispered, even though she knew it was true.

Hawkmoth cackled at her fear, and Marinette felt as if she might faint.

"You naïve idiot. Do you think you're the only one with that power?"

"Wh… What?"

"The power to reshape the world… Purely by your own determination." Marinette remembered that dizzying feeling she had gotten before she had gone back, and she felt sick. She had thought… She didn't even know what she had thought, but it certainly wasn't this.

"The ability to play God!" Marinette shook her head. That's not what she meant to do. "The ability to _'save.'_ " Marinette's blood turned cold.

"I though I was the only one with that power," Hawkmoth said casually, with just a hint of something else lying underneath it. "But… I can't save anymore. Apparently _your_ desires for this world override _mine."_

"No, I – I don't-"

"Well, well," Hawkmoth continued, as if Marinette wasn't trying to say something. "Enjoy that power while you can. I'll be watching." Hawkmoth cackled, and Marinette watched, trying not to drown in her own fear, as Hawkmoth disappeared.

 _I can't go back now,_ Marinette thought, staring at the patch of illuminate grass. _Tikki won't take me back._ Tears dripped from her eyes as she stared at the grass. _I'm so scared._

Despite everything, she walked toward the grass, and then over it, wiping her eyes.

 _I don't believe much in destiny._

 _But there's nowhere else to go but forward,_ she thought, taking a shaking breath.

She walked through the dark purple door, trying not to let the fear control her.

What greeted her on the other side was snow and tall dark trees Marinette couldn't even see the top of. Even though she knew it was cold, she didn't feel it all, her new sweater and shorts radiating heat through her body.

The doors closed behind her.

 _Nowhere else to go but forward,_ Marinette repeated over and over again, a mantra to give her strength as she walked forward and followed the path in the snow.

She walked quickly, the dark trees looming over her. Her hands shook, definitely not from the cold.

There was a stick in the middle of the path, and Marinette thought nothing of it as she stepped on it, continuing to walk fast. After she was five steps away from the stick, it cracked loudly, the sound echoing through the forest. She whirled around. It was broken in half. She walked faster.

 _Forward, forward, forward,_ her mind repeated over and over again, but it felt more frantic than determined.

She thought she saw a shadow flicker out from the trees behind her. She resisted the urge to scream, walking faster, her mantra growing more and more frantic with every step.

There was a break in the snow, a wooden bridge laid over a hole in the ground. Metal bars stretched diagonally over the hole and bridge, seemingly blocking the path. Marinette froze, her body shaking with fear.

Snow crunched behind her. She squeezed her eyes shut, clenching her fists. Her mantra was now a long string of curse words instead of the word 'forward,' and she couldn't even turn around, she was so scared.

 _"Human."_

Marinette shivered, feeling the dark presence directly behind her.

"Don't you know how to greet a new pal?"


	7. Chapter 6

"Turn around and shake my hand."

Marinette shook with fear. The mantra that she'd so desperately held in place (even if it was just curse words) faded away to nothing. _They want me to turn around,_ Marinette thought, and, before she even knew what her body was doing, she was facing the person.

Their entire body seemed to be covered in shadow, save for one leather-clad hand, which was held out to her. She searched the person's face for anything – a sign they might kill her, a sign they _won't_ kill her, anything really – and found nothing.

She took his hand. There was a loud farting noise.

Despite herself, Marinette giggled, looking up at the person to see if they heard it, too. The person chuckled, and they lifted their face, the shadow covering their features disappearing.

"Ha, the old whoopee cushion in the hand trick," he said, still laughing. He took his hand away from Marinette's and showed her the whoopee cushion, wiping a tear from his eye. He sighed contently. "It's _always_ funny."

Now that Marinette wasn't about to pee her pants, she saw that the dude looked far from intimidating. Sure, he wore a black leather body suit with small claws on the fingertips, but the green eyes behind his black domino mask glistened with a joke untold. He had cat ears in his messy blonde hair.

Before Marinette could say anything, the guy continued. "Anyway, you're human, right? That's hilarious. I'm Chat. Chat Noir. But of course, a little sweetie like you can just call me Chat."

Marinette blanched, making a face. Chat laughed.

"So, kitten, what are you called?"

"Not kitten, that's for sure," Marinette said without any hesitation. "And not sweetie, either. I'm Marinette." Yes, she shouldn't trust so easily, but Chat didn't feel threatening, even if he used the worst nicknames.

"Got a bit of _cat_ titude, don't you?" he asked, wiggling his eyebrows and leaning closer. Marinette rolled her eyes. "What are you doing out here all by your lonesome, _Marinette?"_ he asked, emphasizing her name in quite an infuriating way.

"None of your business," she replied, crossing her arms. "What are _you_ doing out all by your lonesome?" she asked, mimicking him in a not-so-flattering manner. He seemed pleased.

"You know, little bug, I'm actually supposed to be on watch for humans right now," he said, fake whispering like it was some secret.

Marinette raised in eyebrow, taking a step back. "Should I start running?"

"Nah," Chat said, giving her a shrug. "I don't really care about capturing anybody." He paused, and Marinette braced herself. _"Especially_ not a cute little kitten like you." Marinette rolled her eyes again, but… She didn't actually hate his stupid nicknames.

"Now my best friend, Nino," Chat continued, holding up a finger, "he's a human hunting _fanatic."_ He paused, and he seemed to become aware of how close to her he'd gotten. He backed away just a tiny bit. Marinette felt herself warm up just a tad bit more to him.

"Actually… I think he'll be coming over here soon."

"What?" Marinette demanded, panic suddenly coming back and hitting her hard. A human hunting fanatic is coming, and she's human. Not a good situation.

"Chill out – ha, get it? Chill. There's snow. Anyway – I have an idea. Go through that gate thing," he said, gesturing to the metal bars that had been 'blocking' the bridge.

"But-"

"Don't worry, it's not actually blocking anything. Nino made it too wide to stop anyone."

"Then why-" Marinette yelped as Chat herded her through the bars, which were in fact too wide to stop either of them. When they crossed the bridge, Marinette saw a weird shaped lamp and a small sentry station.

"Quick, behind that conveniently-shaped lamp," Chat whispered, pushing her gently to the lamp. Sure enough, as she stumbled behind the lamp, it hid her perfectly. Chat gave her thumbs up before turning to face a person who had just walked up.

"What's up, Nino?" Chat asked casually, leaning against the lamp. Marinette glared up at him. He pretended not to notice.

"You know 'what's up,' Chat!" the person who was apparently Nino exclaimed. "It's been eight days and you haven't recalibrated your puzzles." Marinette stifled laughter. Chat, still keeping a smile on his face, glared down at her for a second before looking back at Nino.

"You just hang around at your station," Nino continued. "What are you even doing?" Marinette thought he sounded like a frustrated mother.

"Staring at this lamp. It's really cool," Chat responded casually. "Do you want to look?"

 _You piece of-_

"No," Nino said, sighing exasperatedly. "I don't have time for that. Would if a human comes through here? We need to be ready." Marinette bit her lip, wondering if this situation was funny or terrifying. "I have to be the one, Chat. I have to capture the last human."

Marinette thought she saw Chat's body tense.

"I'll gain respect, recognition… Whatever. And then I'll be able to join the royal guard!" Marinette glanced up at Chat. His smile was a bit forced. "There will be parties – for you, too! Chat, I'll be able to ask the king –"

"Maybe this lamp will help you," Chat interrupted.

"Chat! You're not helping!" Nino cried, and Marinette heard the snow crunch aggressively, like he was stomping his foot. "You lazybones. All you do is lay around and cat nap." Back to Mom Nino. "You get lazier and lazier every day!"

"Hey, now. I've gotten a _ton_ of work done today." He paused. Both Marinette and Nino braced themselves. "A _skele_ ton."

"…What."

"You called me lazybones." Chat was grinning so hard, Marinette was afraid his cheeks might tear.

"Chat!"

"Aw, come on, Bubbles, you're smiling." _Bubbles?_ Marinette thought, raising her eyebrows.

"Okay, I'm smiling, but don't call me Bubbles!" Nino sighed dramatically. "Why does someone as awesome as me have to do so much around here?"

Chat put on a sympathetic face. Marinette already knew where this was going, despite only knowing Chat for the whole of maybe five minutes. "Wow, sounds like you're really working yourself… _down to the bone."_

"There is only so much you can do with one statement!" Nino exclaimed, and Marinette stifled a laugh. Chat seemed even more pleased. "Ugh, I'm going to go attend to my puzzles. You know, to _work."_

The snow started to crunch, then stopped. "As for your work, my cat friend, put a little more _backbone_ into it!" Nino cackled, and the crunching resumed. Chat was still laughing after Nino left.

Marinette emerged from behind the lamp, trying to glare at Chat, but failing. "It really wasn't that funny," she said, a smile growing on her face.

Chat looked her up and down, wiping a tear from his eye. "It really was," he said, grinning and placing his hands on his hips. "But anyway, kitten, back to business."

"What did I say about being called kitten?" Marinette asked, although she really didn't mind. However, she didn't like how she didn't mind it, and that's what really mattered.

"Fine. Back to business, bugaboo." They both pretended to ignore the small smile that graced Marinette's lips. "You should get going. He might come back, and if he does…" He paused, and Marinette was already starting to roll her eyes. "You'll have to sit through more of my hilarious jokes."

"As if they were hilarious," she muttered, and Chat leaned down, giving her nose a poke.

"Says the little bug who was laughing the whole way through it." Marinette suppressed a smile as he gently pushed her away. "Now shoo."

"You're not coming with me?" she asked, eyeing the tall dark trees warily.

"Why would I?" Chat asked, and Marinette shrugged, kind of feeling a bit let down, for whatever reason.

"Well, what are you going to do here?"

Chat shrugged, walking over to the sentry station. "You heard Nino. I have to work." He sat down, resting his head on the counter and closing his eyes. Marinette snorted.

She looked back at the direction she was supposed to go. Tikki wasn't here, and no doubt the akumas wouldn't be so easy to beat now that she was outside of the Ruins. Plus, there was a human hunting fanatic somewhere ahead.

Marinette gulped, fear trickling back into her.

"What's the holdup?" Chat asked, and she turned around. He was peeking at her from one opened eye. "Kitten, there's nothing to be afraid of."

"Oh, really?" Marinette asked, crossing her arms and trying to hide how afraid she was.

"Yeah," Chat responded, opening both eyes and grinning at her. "It's just a dark cavern filled with strange cats and horrible akumas."

She tried to laugh it off, but her attempt sounded fake even to her. She looked back at the path she was supposed to take, and then looked back at Chat. His expression softened.

"It's alright, bugaboo. Maybe I'll catch up with you ahead. You know, when I have a break," he said, smiling at her.

"I shouldn't take you away from your _work,"_ she responded, and he snorted.

"Cat napping is a serious profession."

"Sure."

She still didn't leave. He stared at her.

"What are you afraid of, little kitten?" he asked softly. She furrowed her eyebrows, looking down at her polka dotted sweater.

"None of your business."

He stared at her a bit more. Marinette started to fidget. "That's fair," he said after a while. "It's not that bad here. I promise." Marinette still didn't go, staring at Chat with worried eyes. "Go on, bugaboo," he said, the slightly concerned expression he'd had until now melting away, although his eyes were still trained on her with an intensity that made Marinette feel a little better. "And take your cattitude with you."

The jitters and nerves she'd been feeling exploded out of her in a slightly crazed giggle. "You know you're the worst, right?" Chat grinned, giving her a wink.

" _Cat_ ch you later, little bug."

She turned, taking a deep breath. _Forward._

"Ah, wait, Marinette," Chat called to her. She turned back to him, surprised.

"What, you just couldn't stand to see me go?" she asked, grinning at him. A smile fell across his face and he looked down at the wooden counter of the sentry-station, like he was trying to hide it. His cat ears twitched.

"Something like that, bug." He looked back up at her, the soft smile that had just been on his face widening into a grin. "Hate to bother you on your little mission to wherever, but I got to tell you something."

She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow. "Do tell."

"Well, it's kind of a favor…" He suddenly looked sincere. Marinette softened.

"I'll see what I can do."

"Nino has been kind of down lately… He's never really seen a human before." He paused. Marinette thought there was more to the story than just that. "And you're human, so seeing you might just make his day."

Chat sounded serious, but Marinette was uneasy. "I can understand why seeing a human would make a human hunting fanatic's day."

"He's not dangerous, I promise," Chat insisted. "Even if… Even if he tries to be." Curiosity pulled at Marinette's mind. She pushed it away.

"I'll… I'll see what I can do," she said, weaker this time. He visibly brightened.

"Thanks a million, Marinette."

She nodded, smiling softly. She had no idea if she'd be able to do what Chat asked, but she'd certainly try. "Until later, then?"

"Until later it is," Chat agreed, giving her a salute as she turned around again, her mantra already playing in her head.

She paused before she left the area, taking one last look back. It's not like she was scared anymore (lies – she was terrified, but it helped to believe that she wasn't scared), but for some reason she wanted one last look at Chat before she went.

He wasn't at the sentry station.

Puzzled, Marinette looked around. There were no other footprints except her own and Nino's. She walked slowly back to the sentry station, peeking behind the counter. Chat was nowhere to be found. There were, however, bottles of ketchup and mustard behind the counter. Marinette rolled her eyes.

 _I don't need Chat, anyway,_ Marinette thought stubbornly, although she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

She walked away from the sentry station.

In the next area, the first thing she saw was a sparkling yellow thing in the snow. It had been a while since she'd last seen a save point, but this time she was wary of it. Hawkmoth knew about… whatever this was. He knew she'd killed someone, and then went back.

Maybe she shouldn't use the save points anymore.

Marinette started to walk past it, but then she stopped, glancing at the sparkling save. _Aren't save points in video games for when you die in the game? Would if I die? Would if I make a colossal mistake, like I did last time?_

Normal people didn't have save points when they made mistakes.

 _The person in my dream said I was to be responsible for the akumas' fate. I'm not normal._

It's awfully greedy.

 _I don't care._

Marinette touched the save point after another moment's hesitation. _I won't die here in the Underground. If I die, it'll be on my own terms,_ she thought as the world stood still, snowflakes suspended in mid-air.

 _ **The convenience of that lamp still fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

She pressed 'yes' with a rather determined finger. Snowflakes drifted down once more, melting on her warm sweater and getting stuck in her hair.

Turning away from the save point, she saw that there was a clearly defined path in the snow that branched off in too directions. Ahead, there was a box and a sign, and then the path continued. She looked at the other path, and then looked back at the box.

The other path could wait.

The sign next to the box was written in neat block letters.

 _ **This is a box.**_

 _Wow, I had no idea,_ Marinette thought sarcastically before turning her attention back to what the sign said.

 _ **You can put an item inside, or take an item out.**_

 _ **The same box will appear later, so don't worry about coming back.**_

 _ **Sincerely, a box lover**_

Marinette opened the box tentatively, wondering if anything would have been left inside that someone forgot to take out later. There was only one item inside; a leather glove with spikes on the knuckles.

The glove looked old, like it had been in the box for a while, and there was a strange dusty substance on the spikes. _I won't be hitting anyone… I hope._

She closed the box. So far, there seemed to be plenty of room in her Miraculous, so she didn't really have to put anything in the box. Except… The pie. She could smell it even when she had her Miraculous in her pocket. Tikki must have made it with all the love and magic she had.

When the container holding the slice of pie had been safely put in the box, Marinette turned her back to the box. It was a good thing she was leaving it in the box; that way, she wouldn't be tempted to eat it until she felt alright about consuming something someone she'd murdered had made for her.

The cinnamon and butterscotch smell remained on her. _It's almost like I'm…_

 _No. I can't think about that here._

And so she ignored the cinnamon and butterscotch smell mingling with the crisp scent of winter and turned back to the other path she'd seen.

On both sides of the path, there were pine trees, causing a bit of nostalgia for Christmases she'd celebrated in the past. _What is wrong with me? I have to keep going forward,_ she thought, rubbing her forehead as she walked. _I can't waste my time one thoughts like that._

The path ended at a river flowing peacefully. There was a fishing rod fixed in the snow on the riverbank.

Marinette could've left the fishing rod alone. But curiosity burned at her.

She reeled it in.

All that was on the end of it was a photo of a strange looking akuma. Marinette wondered how the photo could've been so wonderfully preserved in ice water. _Probably magic._

On the back of the photo, there was hastily written letters that Marinette had to squint to read.

 _ **Call me!**_

 _ **Here's my number!**_

Underneath the words was a phone number. Marinette flipped the photo over to look at the akuma. She carefully put the fishing rod back in the snow and put the photo back in the water, her curiosity having been satisfied for the moment.

She walked back down the path of pine trees, turning back to the path with the box. Even as she walked by as fast as she could, she could still smell cinnamon and butterscotch. She moved on without looking back.

In the next area, the sight of a familiar face made a small smile pull at her lips. Chat's eyes slid over to her, giving her a wink before looking back at the akuma he was talking to.

"So, as I was saying about Alya," the akuma said, and Marinette instantly recognized his voice. Nino. He looked really strange, kind of like his clothes had been painted on his body and then been polished so that they had a weird shine to them. He wore glasses and a pair of headphones around his neck, the wire going down to his front pocket.

Marinette stood still, wondering why Chat wasn't saying anything and why Nino still hadn't noticed her.

And then he did notice her.

He looked at her, then back at Chat, who also looked at her, then back at Nino. This continued for quite some time, the looks becoming faster and more excited, though Marinette guessed that Chat was only pretending to be excited for Nino. He had seen her before, after all.

Finally, they quit looking at her, and Nino grabbed Chat's shoulder, whirling him around so that their backs were to Marinette. She resisted the urge to laugh at the ridiculous situation. Her hands shook with fear.

"Chat, oh, my God!" Nino whisper-shouted. "Is that…" He paused, and both Chat and Nino looked back at Marinette. Chat grinned at her again, his eyes pleading. Marinette tried to look strong, stuffing her hands in her pockets.

Nino met her gaze, and she saw the way his eyes were bright and excited. He looked like a little kid.

"Chat, is that a _human?"_


	8. Chapter 7

Marinette looked over at Chat, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Uh, actually, I think that's a rock," Chat said casually, as if Marinette was in fact a rock. She glanced behind her, and, sure enough, there was a rock in the snow.

"Oh." Nino looked very disappointed.

"Hey, what's that in _front_ of the rock?" Marinette, who had almost believed she could get past Nino the Human Hunter and also Chat without doing anything, glared at Chat. He gave her a cheeky grin.

"Oh, my God!" Nino exclaimed, turning to Chat and leaning in. "Is… Is that a human?" he whispered, glancing at Marinette. She waved nervously.

"Yes," Chat whispered back, playing along with his over dramatic friend.

"Oh, my God!" Nino exclaimed once more, grabbing Chat's shoulders. "Chat! We finally did it! Alya will… I'm going to… We can… Everything'll go right!" Nino was practically wheezing with excitement, and Marinette saw Chat giving him a look that exuded care and pride.

It was kind of sweet.

Nino calmed himself down, straightening up and clearing his throat. "Human. You shall not pass this area. Because we're going to stop you!" Marinette stared at Nino, her nerves and fear going down the drain. She glanced at Chat, who gave her a discreet thumbs-up.

"Um, alright."

"And then we'll capture you, and you'll be delivered to the capital. And then… Well, I'm not sure what happens next, " Nino admitted, scratching the back of his head. "In any case," he said, putting his hands on hips, "continue… if you dare!" He cackled and stomped to the next area.

For a moment, both Chat and Marinette stared after him. "Well, that went well," Chat said, turning back to Marinette.

"He sounds very excited about capturing me," Marinette said, although her fear had gone away.

"Don't sweat it, bug-"

"I'm not."

"I'll keep a cateye out for you." He winked, and she made a face. And then he followed after Nino before he could say anything else.

She sighed, wondering if she was going to have to continue her journey forward alone all the time. And then she realized that she'd fallen down to the Underground alone, and she didn't need anybody to keep her company.

 _Whatever, okay? Forward; that's all that matters,_ she thought as she walked down the path, trying to ignore the loneliness that had descended upon her.

There was another sentry station ahead, and Marinette walked over to it, her curiosity driving her to check everything out.

Before she could get any closer, however, an akuma appeared in front of her, it's giant ice hat grabbing most of Marinette's attention. The red heart peeled away from her chest, and she looked down at it, raising her eyebrows. The heart made a shrugging gesture.

Her Miraculous beeped instantly, and Marinette pulled it out, relieved to have another distraction from the akuma's weird hat. As usual, it dispensed a small slip of paper that told Marinette what she should do. _'Compliment.'_

Marinette looked up at the akuma, finding that the white name floating above his hat said 'Icecap.' Of course. What else would its name be?

"Icecap, you, uh, you have a very nice hat," Marinette said, trying her best to sound sincere.

"Duh! Who doesn't know that?" Icecap said, rolling its eyes. Marinette blinked. Normally, when the Miraculous told her to do something in a fight, it worked. She looked down at it, and then at the heart floating slightly in front of her. It made another shrugging gesture.

Sharp ice manifested around Icecap, pointing directly at Marinette and the heart. The heart immediately zoomed off, creating enough distraction for Marinette to think of another plan.

A stray icicle cut into her arm, and she winced, expecting to see a tear in the wonderful sweater Tikki had made for her. Except, there wasn't a tear. Sure, she could feel the sting of the icicle and a trickle of blood running down her arm, but there was no tear in the fabric.

 _So that's what she meant when she said it would keep me clothed. She made it with magic so it wouldn't tear._

Marinette felt a surge of emotion for Tikki, a simple motherly gesture meaning so much for her.

"Alright, you dumb thing," she said, speaking directly to the Miraculous, "how about you give me something that'll work?"

After a rather defiant moment, the Miraculous dispensed another slip of paper that said, _'ignore.'_ Marinette understood that it probably meant she should ignore Icecap's hat, but she still felt a twinge of irritation because, for some reason, she felt as if the Miraculous wanted to ignore _her._

When Marinette looked back up, the heart narrowly escaped a flying icicle, only to slam into another. She felt pain rip at her chest, and she bit the inside of her cheek until it bled to keep from crying out.

She was about to glare at the heart, but it zoomed over to her, quite obviously afraid as it hid in her hair. "You're lucky I know what to do now," she said with a sigh.

More icicles flew at her and the heart, but Marinette avoided them easily, pointedly looking away from Icecap's hat. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw that it looked a bit annoyed.

"What? What are you doing?"

Marinette continued to ignore Icecap's hat. She thought she saw it trying to see if she was looking at its hat.

"Fine! Whatever, I'll ignore you, too!" His name turned yellow, and Marinette shrugged. The heart untangled itself from her hair as the Icecap disappeared, floating in front of her, where it sank back into her chest.

Now that that whole ordeal was over, she was able to look at the sentry station she'd been trying to look at earlier. It had a sign hanging on the front written in neat all caps letters.

 _ **HERE IS A WELL-CRAFTED SENTRY STATION.**_

 _ **WHO COULD HAVE BUILT THIS?**_

 _ **THE VERY FAMOUS SAVIOR OF AKUMAS, THAT'S WHO!**_

 _ **[NOTE: NOT YET THE VERY FAMOUS SAVIOR OF AKUMAS]**_

Marinette snorted, immediately knowing whose sentry station it was. She wondered why Nino wanted to save the akumas so badly. _I wonder how he'd react if he knew I could be the savior of all akumas. Maybe he wouldn't want to capture me._

She continued on the path until she reached yet another sentry station with a sign just before it written in neat calligraphy.

 _ **Absolutely no moving!**_

The only trouble with this, Marinette thought, was that she'd have to move to get past the sign. And so she continued on, starting to walk past the sentry station.

Except.

An akuma wearing a gray and pink body suit emerged from behind the counter, looking around suspiciously through squinted eyes. "Did something move? Was it just my imagination?" Marinette was literally standing right in front of him. "I can only see moving things. If something was moving… For example, a human… I'll make sure it _never_ moves again!"

Oh no.

"Or if it's a bird, I can be friends with it!" the akuma exclaimed, clapping his hands excitedly.

Nevertheless, the red heart peeled away from her sweater. Too afraid to catch the akuma's attention (whose name was Mr. Pigeon), Marinette didn't look down at it for once. It also remained still in front of her.

Her Miraculous beeped incessantly, but Marinette made no move to get it out, too afraid of what would happen if she moved. If it had something to tell her, it would have to wait.

Faceless blue birds manifested around Mr. Pigeon, swarming the area. Out of instinct, both Marinette and the heart shrunk away from the birds, but since there was so many of them, there was no escape.

Marinette made the mistake of swatting one of the birds away from the heart, and it stuck uncomfortably on her skin, burning and sizzling. Mr. Pigeon started to squawk, hopping around and waving his arms as if he were a bird.

"Moving! Moving! Moving!" he chirped over and over again, his eyes on Marinette. She tore the bird away from her skin with a wince and threw it him, her mind a realm of curse words.

The blue birds swarmed around her and the heart once more, but this time, she cupped her hands around the heart to keep it from moving and remained completely still.

Instead of sticking to her skin, the birds flew right through her as if she wasn't even there. It didn't hurt at all.

"What!" demanded Mr. Pigeon, head swiveling wildly. Marinette though he looked a bit ridiculous. "I can't see moving!" The blue birds he had summoned flew back to him, and the air cleared around her.

She took the chance to remove her hands from around the heart and take out her Miraculous, her eyes trained on Mr. Pigeon and his blue birds.

The paper had crumpled slightly from dispensing in the confines of her pocket, but otherwise it looked fine. She and the heart leaned down to read what was written. _'Stroke.'_

"Um."

Of all the slightly worrying things her Miraculous had told her to do during fights, this was probably the most worrying. Her extremely not childish mind soared to places Marinette would rather not think about.

"I'd rather not do that," Marinette told the heart, and it glowed with a rhythm that reminded her suspiciously of laughter.

She was about to say a couple of choice words to the heart to let it know just how much she appreciated the teasing, but before she could, Mr. Pigeon launched another bird attack. She was forced to stand still, glaring at the heart that still glowed amusedly.

When Mr. Pigeon yet again detected no movement, the birds retreated once more, allowing Marinette to get closer. She looked down at the Miraculous, narrowing her eyes. "If this doesn't work, I'm blaming you entirely," she whispered.

And then she reached out a hand to Mr. Pigeon's oblivious head, stroking the head of his rubbery body suit as she would a bird's feathers.

Mr. Pigeon jerked away, a squawking sound slipping past his lips. "What! I've been stroked!" Marinette retreated, wincing at the choice of words. The heart, which had conveniently remained far away from Mr. Pigeon, glowed even brighter.

The name floating above Mr. Pigeon's head turned yellow, and Marinette glared at the heart. "Well, come on, then. Get over here." The heart happily obliged, floating over merrily.

"You're the worst," she muttered as it sunk back into her chest. It pulsed lightly, sending a shot of warmth through her veins. Marinette shook her head, a light smile falling onto her face.

"S-s-s-something stroked me," Mr. Pigeon said, and, once again, Marinette winced at the choice of words. "Something that isn't moving! I'm going to need some bird seeds for this!" He sunk back behind the counter, looking around with shifting eyes.

"Of all the ridiculous things," she muttered to herself, shaking her head and not even bothering to finish her sentence.

Marinette continued on the path in the snow, and she paused to look at a pile of birdseed on a curled piece of smoking paper. The edges of the paper and a bit of the birdseed looked charred. She glanced back at Mr. Pigeon's sentry station.

She walked faster.

In the next area, Marinette was relieved to see a familiar face.

Chat stood leaning against on of the many pine trees, looking at her as if he'd been expecting her. She felt her heart lift just the tiniest bit.

"Hey," he said, giving her a grin.

"You just couldn't stand to be away from me, could you?" she asked, her tone more than bit flirty. He gave her a wink, and she felt her cheeks burn.

"I just wanted to share some important information with you." He paused, and his smile grew more impish. "But there is the added bonus of seeing such a cute little bug."

"It's not so bad to see a cute little stray every once in a while," she admitted, and he rolled his eyes.

"Anyway, Nino has this _special attack,"_ he said, emphasizing the words with air quotations. "If you see a blue attack, don't move and it won't hurt you."

"Oooh, you're a bit late on that info, kitty. I already know that."

"But it helps to have a reminder, yeah? And you might've been so surprised by his awesome blue attack that you just got distracted. Now that won't happen."

"As if it ever would've happened."

"Do you want something to help you remember?" he asked quite genuinely.

"Not really."

"Well, you're getting it anyway." She rolled her eyes. "Imagine a stop sign."

"What?"

"Imagine a stop sign, you little interrupter. Let me finish my analogy." She scoffed, but didn't say anything else. "When you see a stop sign, you stop, right? And stop signs are red, right? So just imagine a blue stop sign. You know, so you'll stop." He seemed entirely serious, and Marinette wondered if he was just a good actor.

"…What?"

"Simple right? When fighting, just think about blue stop signs."

Marinette rolled her eyes. "You're ridiculous." The serious expression he'd worn immediately broke, and Chat let out a giggle. "I've got to continue forward. Want to come with?" She wasn't asking seriously (yes, she was), but he seemed to actually think the question over.

"I don't see why it would hurt," he admitted. He offered her an arm, and she took it. "I'll be your guide for the next couple of areas, maybe."

"Why only the next couple of areas?" she asked, the fact that he wouldn't stay with her for the rest of the way somehow both relieving and disappointing at the same time.

"Even a cat has things to do, you know," he said, escorting her carefully over a large ice patch with a sign in the middle of it.

"You mean besides sleeping and being slightly sketchy?" she asked, pulling him back to the ice patch and aiming their steps so that they reached the patch of snow in the middle of the ice that had the sign on it.

"Exactly that, bug. And remind me again why we're back in the middle of the ice?"

"I wanted to read the sign," she answered, bending down so as to read it better. Before she could get a proper look, however, Chat pushed her gently aside, blocking her view of the sign.

"Allow me. I am your guide, after all." He paused, clearing his throat and clasping his hands behind his back rather professionally. "To the North: Ice. To the South: Ice. To the West: Ice. And, finally, to the East: The lovely town of Snowdin with, of course, more ice."

Marinette gave him a look. "That is not what it says."

Chat looked offended. "You think I jest, my lady?" he demanded, putting on a royal air. "You think I do not spend all of my time wandering around these winter woods and committing every sign to my memory?"

"Come on, Chat. What kind of sign is so nonspecific, and what kind of town's name sounds like 'snow den?'"

"This sign, and Snowdin, my lady," he said, still keeping up the royal act.

"Step aside oh so royal knight," she said sarcastically, shoving him onto the ice, where he slid rather ungracefully back to the snow. She bent down to read the sign, expecting to see something more detailed, but was let down entirely.

 _ **North: Ice**_

 _ **South: Ice**_

 _ **West: Ice**_

 _ **East: Snowdin Town (…and more ice)**_

She heard Chat snicker behind her, and she fumed silently. "Shut up," she said as soon as she turned around, her face burning.

"I didn't even say anything!"

"You were about to."

Chat watched as she slid gracefully over the ice with no visible effort, a slightly impressed look on his face. She noticed his stare and raised her eyebrows, gracefully jumping back onto the snow so that she was right in front of him. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing," he lied. "Just thinking that the color red suits you, bug." She blushed, looking down at the red rain boots that she'd had ever since she'd fallen and the red sweater Tikki had made her. "It even looks good on your face," he commented as her blush deepened, and she glared at him.

"Compliment my clothes as much as you want, but keep my face out of it."

"Why? You're beautiful." Of course, he was telling the truth. She truly was beautiful, everything about her radiating outward and infecting everything else. She made everything, even the snow mixed with dirt, look shining and new and wonderful simply by being in existence.

Her face turned a deep shade of red, almost matching her sweater. She didn't say anything, just stared at him, not knowing what to say. He had expected her to reply with some witty quip, so the silence and the look she was giving him made him turn away, his face feeling a bit hotter than usual.

"G-given that I'm your guide," he stuttered, and Marinette blinked out of her trance, "it's only fair you get to choose where we go first."

"Right," she said, clearing her throat.

"So which way, princess? Ice, ice, ice, or Snowdin Town?"

"Oh, so I'm a princess now?" she asked playfully, and instead of responding, Chat just gave her a grin. _Perhaps I made him feel awkward with my silence earlier,_ she thought, looking down at her boots. _I was just surprised. No one's ever…_

"Which way, bug?" Chat prompted, and Marinette snapped back to reality.

"The logical way forward is Snowdin," she said, tapping a finger to her chin and looking at the fork in the road. "But if I were to just continue without seeing what sort of treasures could be waiting on any other path, my curiosity would just eat me up."

"Ah, so you're the curious type."

"Why else would a human such as me fall down to a place such as this?" Marinette said without giving the statement much thought. Chat, who had been surveying their surroundings, whipped his head around to her.

"Is that why you fell? You were curious?"

Marinette stiffened. "I think North should do for now. Lead the way, loyal guide." Her voice was casual, but her body language suggested she was guarded as she took Chat's arm once more.

"So…" Chat trailed off, looking down at her. "Why _did_ you fall down into the Underground? Among the humans, isn't the entrance to the Underground a super creepy mountain no one is supposed to climb?"

They had reached a dead end, a quaint snowman smiling at them serenely, it's button eyes seeming to sparkle with life.

"What a nice snowman," Marinette said, completely ignoring Chat's question as if he hadn't said anything at all.

"You're too kind," the snowman responded, and even though she smiled, she tightened her grip on Chat's arm.

"You speak!"

"Hello. I am a snowman."

"Hi," Chat and Marinette said in unison.

"I want to see the world…" The snowman trailed off, and it suddenly looked a bit said, the pieces of charcoal he had for a mouth shifting to form a slight frown. "But I cannot move."

Marinette's grip on Chat loosened considerably, and she stepped away from him. "How sad…"

"Traveler, you seem to be a kind person… Do you think you could take a piece of me and bring it very far away? Please?"

"Buginette, maybe you shouldn't-"

"Of course!" Marinette answered before Chat could say anything else. "This way, your dream will come true." She removed a small bit of snow off the snowman's midsection. "I'm sorry if that hurt," she said once she saw the slightest grimace of pain fall upon the snowman's almost-features.

"No, it's alright. Thank you, kind traveler. And good luck on your journey!" Marinette thanked him and then took Chat by the arm, leading him rather forcefully back to the area they had came from.

"Shouldn't you be a litter nicer?"

"Would if it wanted to hurt you?"

"Chat," Marinette said with a roll of her eyes, her voice exasperated. "It was a _snowman._ It couldn't move."

"So?" Marinette gave him a look, and he caved, letting out a sigh as he watched her carefully ball up the piece of the snowman and put it in her Miraculous. "All I'm saying is that maybe you shouldn't be so trusting."

"You say that as if you weren't okay with me trusting you." He made a disgruntled noise of protest, but she continued on before he could interrupt. "And besides, the heart would've come out if it had intended to hurt me."

Instead of answering, Chat looked down at the Miraculous. "Your yo-yo matches your sweater."

"Yo-yo?" Marinette asked, and Chat gestured down to the Miraculous. "It's not-" He gave her a strange look that made her stop in the middle of her sentence.

"You mean you don't even know how to use the weapon you carry?"

"Why would I need a weapon?"

Her question seemed to catch him off guard. For a moment, he stared at her, as if seeing her in a new light. And then he laughed. Not the stupid half-snort of laughing at a pun, but a full on burst of pure laughter that made her smile, too, despite not knowing what was so funny.

He wiped his hands over his face, giving her an entirely genuine smile. "Where to next?"

Marinette smiled back, her heart squeezing comfortably. "Haven't you figured it out, kitty? Forward."


	9. Chapter 8

They started to walk east (to where Snowdin Town and more ice was), when Chat stopped, a rather colorful curse slipping out of his mouth. Marinette turned to him, eyebrows raised. "What?"

"Okay, so in the next area, Nino is going to be there."

"And?"

"And play along. Please."

"Didn't I already say I was going to?"

He gave her that look again, the one where it seemed as if he was completely baffled by her answer, and then he shook his head. "You never cease to amaze me, little bug."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Marinette said with a roll of her eyes. "Now shouldn't we go meet Nino?"

"Alright," he said, grabbing her arm sort of forcefully. When she gave him a look, he shrugged. "I have to make it seem believable."

"Make _what_ seem believable?"

"You'll see."

And with that, he walked to the next area, dragging Marinette behind him with his head held high.

"Look what I brought," he announced to Nino, who was waiting impatiently on the other side of a large dark patch of snow.

"Do you know what you said to me?" Nino asked, and Marinette felt Chat stiffen just a bit.

"No?"

"You said that you were going to come and wait with me until the human arrived." Nino crossed his arms and glared at Chat. "And what do you do? Not come until the human comes, pretending that you captured her when all you did was follow her."

Chat started to say something, but then Marinette snorted rather loudly. He glared down at her. Nino glared at Chat. "Okay, so I'll admit to that."

"You're so lazy!" Nino exclaimed. "First, you were napping all night-"

"You mean sleeping?"

"Excuses! And now, you pretend to catch the human when you fail to show up on time." Marinette failed to hide her laughter. For a moment, both Chat and Nino tried their best to glare at her, but Chat's expression turned soft way too quickly to be properly intimidating, and Nino was too excited about seeing a human to get mad at her for being excited, too.

"So!" Nino said, clapping his hands together and turning his attention to Marinette. "In order to stop you, Chat and I have created some puzzles. Or more like, I made them and Chat was being lazy," he explained, adding on the last part with a withering glance at Chat.

"You can't expect a cat to do much, you know," Chat said, giving him a shrug.

" _Anyway,_ I think you'll find this one," he paused, a grin pulling at his lips, "quite _shocking."_

"And he says I'm the one with the bad puns," Chat muttered under his breath, and Marinette snorted.

"Because this is the invisible electricity maze!" Nino continued, either not hearing Chat's comment, or ignoring him. Marinette figured it was a combination of both.

"Wait, what?" she asked, his words finally registering after a moment.

"Allow me to explain, human," Nino said, looking quite pleased that he got the opportunity to brag about a puzzle. "When you touch the walls of this maze, this orb will administer a hearty zap!" he exclaimed, taking out and brandishing a yellow orb from seemingly nowhere.

Marinette gulped, glancing at Chat. He didn't look the least bit worried in the face of her might-be demise.

"Sound like fun?" Nino asked, practically vibrating with excitement. "Because the amount of fun you'll probably end up having is actually quite small, I think."

"Yeah, probably," she replied, trying not to let her voice shake. Chat gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.

"Okay, you can go ahead and go now." Marinette hesitated, looking at the orb that was still in Nino's hand. _Shouldn't I…?_

"Go on," Chat said, nudging her forward. As soon as she took her first step, the orb blazed brightly, electrocuting Nino quite thoroughly.

 _I was right,_ Marinette thought as she looked at the kind of sizzling Nino.

"Chat! What did you do?" Nino demanded, glaring at Chat behind his crooked and cracked glasses.

"Why do you always blame me for things?" Chat asked, but Nino didn't stop staring at him as if he were mother disappointed in his child. "Nino," Chat sighed, "I think the human has to hold the orb."

"Oh." Nino had the grace to look embarrassed.

He could've walked around the dark patch of snow that was the maze, Marinette noticed, but he walked a careful path through the snow, leaving behind footprints that made the path through the maze quite easy to see.

"Hold this, please," Nino said, tossing the orb up into the air for Marinette to catch somewhat clumsily.

And then he deepened the footprints by walking through them again.

"Um." Marinette looked over at Chat. He gave her a nod. "Right." She walked through the path easily, not getting zapped once.

"Incredible!" Nino exclaimed, giving her an awe filled look. "You slippery bug!"

"I'm not-"

"You solved it so easily!" Nino paused, squinting his eyes at her. _"Too_ easily." She laughed nervously. "However! The next puzzle will not be easy! It is designed by my friend, Chat. You will surely be confounded. Of that, I assure you." He cackled, walking off to the next area.

Chat walked around the maze, standing next to Marinette. "Thanks, little bug. Nino seems like he's having fun."

"Is it normal for someone to be so eager about capturing a human?" Marinette asked, and Chat paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"Nah, he's just excited." She should've been relieved, but the pause made her nervous. She tried not to let it get to her, though. "Anyway, did you see those clothes he was wearing?"

"Um, yeah. How could I miss them? They're really… shiny."

"Yeah," Chat said, nodding and looking in the direction Nino had gone. "We made it together a while back for a party. He wanted to impress someone, you see, and now that's all he wears. He calls it his battle body." Chat looked at Marinette, and she saw that the look on his face exuded pride. "Isn't he so cool?"

He was serious. Marinette found herself smiling and nodding. "Yeah, he is."

They moved on to the next area, and Marinette immediately saw an ice cream stand with a rather sad looking akuma standing next to it, playing with the ends of her blonde pigtails.

"Hey, ice queen," Chat greeted, and the akuma pointedly ignored him, sniffing loudly in a sort of pretentious way. "She's a bit cold, you know?" he whispered to Marinette, leaning down so she could hear.

"Or maybe she doesn't like you," Marinette whispered back. He made a noise of great offense, but she just shrugged, approaching the akuma. She seemed to have the strangest color of eyes; they looked a perfect mix of bright blue and dark purple.

"Hello," Marinette greeted. The akuma glanced up from her blonde pigtails, releasing them so that they sprung up and bounced by her shoulders. She didn't say anything, but she didn't ignore her either, so Marinette took that as a good sign.

"Are you selling ice cream?" she asked, and the akuma nodded, smoothing out her dark purple dress.

"Yeah…"

"You don't sound too happy about that," Marinette noticed. The akuma shrugged. Marinette glanced over at Chat for help, but he seemed as lost as she was on how to deal with the akuma's sadness.

A moment was passed in silence before the akuma sighed angrily. "I just – I just don't know why these aren't selling!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air, her hair bouncing aggressively.

"Wha-?"

"It's the perfect weather for something cold, right?" she demanded, and Marinette shrunk back, looking around at the snow coating everything.

"Um."

"Come on, Miss. Weather," Chat said before the akuma could say anything else. She glared at him. "It's snowing. Let's be logical about this."

"Snow goes _perfectly_ with ice cream."

"Akumas are already cold; no need to make them colder with something made out of literal snow," Chat reasoned, and 'Miss. Weather' pointedly looked away from him again, focusing her severely eyeliner-rimmed blue and purple eyes on Marinette.

"A customer!" she exclaimed as if she hadn't seen or talked to her before, a wide smile melting her icy expression. "Would you like some Nice Cream?"

Marinette glanced at Chat. He looked as if he was sulking, glaring down at the snow as he dug his boots into the ground. "Nice Cream?" she asked, looking back at the akuma.

"That's right! It's the frozen treat that warms your heart, made specially by me, Stormy Weather!" Marinette tried to keep her eyes away from Stormy's aggressively bouncing hair, but found that looking her in the eye was way too intimidating with the weird eye color going on.

"Sounds nice," Marinette admitted, focusing almost the entirety of her attention on the black umbrella above the ice cream stand behind Stormy.

"It's just fifteen gold if you buy now," Stormy said, leaning in and holding up her index finger so that her eyes were level with Marinette's. She was forced to stare into her icy blue and purple eyes.

"Um, yeah. I'll take some." She took out her Miraculous, thankful to have a distraction, opening up the storage part of it. That particular compartment still smelled vaguely of cinnamon and butterscotch, and both Chat and Stormy leaned in to get a better whiff. Marinette shot a glare at Chat and backed a little bit away from Stormy, trying not to be rude.

Marinette stared at the multitude of coins she didn't remember putting in, and then she realized something kind of important. "I don't know how money works here."

Chat leaned in, looking at the contents of her yo-yo. "Well, you got some stuff from the spider bake sale, so you've had to pay at some point. Do you not remember paying? Because that would be bad." He paused dramatically. _"Really_ bad."

"No, I remember paying, but, now that I think about it, I don't remember paying _properly._ I just set down whatever amount of coins it asked for. I just assumed that every coin is worth the same amount."

"They are," Stormy said, glancing into the yo-yo, too. "No need to worry, girl, you've done everything right." She gave her a rather heart warming smile that Marinette felt like she didn't deserve at all.

"Oh, okay." She counted out fifteen gold coins, and then handed them to Stormy, who simply tossed the coins behind her without looking back.

Marinette seemed to be the only one bothered by this, so she pretended that this was something she experienced daily.

Stormy lifted her hands, a small mound of snow lifting off the ground in a flurry. As she moved her arms, the snow was purified of all the dirt until she was holding a perfectly white mound of ice. She turned to the stand, pumping in some flavoring before molding the ice into a cute little ice pop.

"Thanks," Marinette said, reaching her hand out to grab the ice pop and trying to wrap her head around the casual use of magic, but Stormy held the ice pop out of her reach.

"It's not done yet," she said with a roll of her eyes. "You're almost as bad as that one," she said, gesturing to Chat with a half-hearted flick of her wrist.

"Oh, uh, sorry," Marinette apologized, blushing.

"Wouldn't want to be me, would you now?" Chat joked, and Marinette rolled her eyes.

"Of course not. I'd rather be myself than any silly stray cat."

"You've got that right," Stormy said, glancing amusedly at an offended Chat. She lifted the ice pop to her mouth, and for a startling moment, Marinette thought she was going to eat it. But then she whispered sweet nothings into the ice that Marinette couldn't make out clearly, her words dripping into the ice and mingling with the flavoring like syrup.

"Is it done?" Marinette asked carefully, not wanting to sound impatient. Stormy nodded, holding out the Nice Cream to her.

"There you are, pretty girl," she said with a wink as Marinette took the Nice Cream and placed it in a plastic container that had appeared in the Miraculous. She blushed, and Chat glared at Stormy, pulling Marinette away from the Nice Cream stand.

"What was that for?" Marinette asked as Chat practically dragged her across a wooden bridge. "She was just being nice."

"She was just _blatantly flirting,"_ Chat hissed, sticking his tongue out at a very smug Stormy.

Marinette looked back at Stormy, and waved politely, only to have Stormy wiggle her fingers flirtily at her. Chat growled. "I don't see why you're so upset," Marinette said as she turned back around and removed Chat's hand from her arm. "You act exactly like her."

Chat made an exaggerated noise of offense. "I do not."

"Maybe that's why you two don't get along," she continued, putting a finger to her chin. He was about to protest, but Marinette interrupted him. "Oh, look! A snowball!" She left Chat's side to take a closer look at the large snowball, only to have Chat mimic her behind her back.

"I believe it's a puzzle," Chat said once he was done being childish, clasping his hands behind his back and looking at the large dark patch of snow and the hole in the ground a few meters away.

"That just means we have to solve it," she said, kicking the snowball toward the hole. It bounced off the snow, and Marinette chased after it, jumping up and kicking it again.

She was grinning wide and twirling around gracefully, so obviously having fun that it made Chat's heart hurt a little. When she had kicked the snowball into the hole, confetti and streamers burst out along with a blue flag. Marinette's grin widened as she raised her eyebrows and looked over at Chat, whose expression was as soft and sweet as honey.

When he noticed he saw that she was looking at him, he got rid of the soft smile, replacing it with a grin wide enough to rival Marinette's. "Did you read the message?"

"Message?"

"Yeah, the note taped to the flag." Marinette turned around, and sure enough, there was a slip of paper dangling off the pole of the flag.

 _ **Blue –**_

 _ **Hopping and twirling,**_

 _ **Your original style pulled you through**_

She read the note aloud to Chat, and he found it hard not to let his grin melt and turn to honey like a perfectly made Nice Cream. "Makes sense," he said, ducking his head to hide his honey smile from her.

"I guess," she said, shrugging and totally oblivious. "Well, there's two ways to go again," she noted, looking at the two paths and trying to decide which one to go to first.

Chat let out yet another colorful curse, and Marinette raised her eyebrows at him. "Um, how about you go to that one," he said, pointing to the path they were not currently standing in front of.

"Why?"

"Don't you think it seems more interesting that way?"

"Not really."

"No, no, I insist," Chat said, pushing her to the other path. "It's great, I promise." He practically shoved her on the path, and Marinette whipped around, ready to let out a few colorful curses of her own, only to find that he wasn't there.

"Chat?" she called, looking around. There was no way he could disappear so easily when she had just seconds before felt his hands on her back. "Where'd you go?" There were no footprints in the snow except for hers.

Impossible.

She spent a couple of minutes searching for him behind the pine trees, but there was no sign of him. "What the heck?" she muttered, brushing pine needles out of her hair.

Finally realizing that there was no hope in finding him, Marinette turned toward where the path lead, trying not to let Chat's disappearance get to her. "A true cat down to the bone," she muttered with a roll of her eyes.

There were two matching sentry stations right beside each other, but other than that, there was nothing else. The sentry stations were labeled 'His' and 'Hers' respectively.

"How sweet," Marinette said to herself before noticing a sign in between the two stations.

 _ **SMELL RATING**_

 _ **Snow smell – Snowman**_

 _ **WHITE rating, can become YELLOW rating**_

 _ **Unsuspicious smell – Puppy**_

 _ **BLUE rating, smell of rolling around**_

 _ **Weird smell – Human**_

 _ **GREEN rating, destroy at all costs!**_

"Oh." Marinette thought it would be best to stay away from the akumas who owned the 'His' and 'Hers' sentry stations. She walked quickly back down the path and away from the sentry stations.

She walked past the puzzle, seeing that it had reset itself. There was still confetti and streamers in the snow by the hole. There was also a rather large snow poff that she hadn't noticed before that had something black and reflective sticking out of it.

Marinette stared at it for a second, and then she leaned in closer to the snow poff, narrowing her eyes. "What the…?" A camera peered out at her from the snow. She walked away from the snow poff, trying to ward off the creepy feelings that now overwhelmed her. Who would put a camera in the snow?

She shivered, even though her sweater warded off the cold.

As she continued down the other path, she noticed a carefully made snowball resting on the ground. On second glance, however, she saw that it wasn't a snowball at all, but actually a snow decahedron.

She snorted. _There sure are some weird akumas here._

Speaking of weird akumas.

"Human!" shouted a familiar voice ahead. Marinette pulled herself out of thoughts of cameras and snow decahedrons to see Chat and Nino standing side by side on the other side of the small area.

"Oh, hey," she said to Nino, and then shooting a glare at Chat. He gave her a sheepish grin, mouthing _'I'll explain later'_ to her. She looked back at Nino without further acknowledging Chat.

"I hope you're ready for…" Nino trailed off, looking at the space separating them from Marinette. "Chat! Where's the puzzle?"

"It's right there. On the ground," he said with such confidence that Marinette almost believed there was an actual puzzle on the ground instead of a piece of paper. Nino gave him a look. "Trust me, there's no way she can get past this one."

Marinette stepped forward, picking up the piece of paper from the snow. It was a word search taken from the kid's menu of some restaurant. She looked up at Chat, who gave her a thumbs up, and then put the word search back down, walking past it to Chat and Nino.

"Chat!" Nino shouted. "That didn't do anything!"

"Whoops," Chat said with a shrug. He winked at Marinette. She squinted her eyes at him before looking back at Nino. "I knew I should've used today's crossword instead."

"As if that would've helped," Marinette muttered under her breath.

"Crossword?" Nino demanded. "I can't believe you said that! How are we even friends? In my opinion, Junior Jumble is _easily_ the hardest!" Would Marinette witness the fall out of two friends over a puzzle?

"It really isn't." Chat looked at Marinette for support. She didn't give him any, too content to sit back and watch this happen. "That easy-peasy word scramble? Come on, dude. That's for _kittens._ "

"Stop referring to children as kittens!" Nino shouted, and Marinette snorted. Nino seemed to remember that she was right in front of him. "Human! Solve this dispute."

Startled at her sudden role in the conversation, Marinette jumped back. "Uh, about the kitten thing or-?""

"No!" Nino interrupted, and it was Chat's turn to snort (rather loudly). "About which puzzle is harder!"

"Oh." She paused to give it some thought. "I would say the crossword puzzle because, you know, the Junior Jumble is literally named after the audience it's meant for," she said, shrugging her shoulders.

Nino stared at her with his mouth opened in offense. "You two are weird!" he shouted, pointing an accusatory finger and both Chat and Marinette. "Crosswords are so easy!"

"If you have a good vocabulary, then yeah," Marinette said.

"It's the same solution every time!" Nino continued as if Marinette hadn't said a thing. "I just fill all the boxes with the letter 'z.'"

"That's not-"

"Because every time I look at a crossword, all I can do is snore!" Nino cackled and sped off to the next area.

"I'm supposed to be the one with the bad jokes," Chat muttered, and Marinette glared at him. He shrunk back in slight fear. "What's the look for, bugaboo?"

"Don't you _bugaboo_ me, you stupid cat! You left me without even saying anything!" Chat took a step away from her, and she took a step forward, jabbing a finger to his chest. "Do you realize how freaking _creepy_ that was? You don't even leave footprints! What the heck is that about?"

"A cat is always light on his feet-" He stopped talking when she punched him hard in the chest. "Geez, little bug, you've got an arm to you, don't you?"

"Answer me!"

He looked at her, really looked at her, and saw she wasn't joking. Her cheeks were red with anger, but it was easy to tell that she really had been scared. He sighed, peeling away his joking exterior and taking her hand. She tried to pull it away, but he held on tighter.

"I'm sorry I left you alone. I realized that Nino was expecting to see me before you, not at the same time, so I panicked. I didn't want him getting mad at me for not making a puzzle to stop you."

"So naturally you just leave a kids' crossword puzzle and hope for the best?" Marinette demanded.

"It was the only thing I had in my pockets," he said with a shrug.

"And what about the no footprint thing?" She was starting to soften up, he could tell, but he could also tell that she wouldn't let this particular question slide.

"It's an akuma thing," he lied.

"Nino leaves footprints."

"It's not an akuma thing," he corrected, and she nodded.

"So what is it, then?" He squeezed her hand and gave her a pleading look. "Chat…" She trailed off, looking at the expression on his face. She was serious, and so was he. He didn't want to tell her.

It seems they are both keeping secrets from each other.

"Fine. I'll let it go."

He let out a relieved breath. "Thank you."

"But," she said, pulling her hand away from his to jab her finger to his chest again. "If you ever leave me without letting me know, I'm not going to be so forgiving." She jabbed him one more time for good measure, then stomped away.

"Forgiving?" Chat muttered, rubbing his chest, which kind of hurt where she had jabbed her finger.

She stopped stomping, turning around to look at him impatiently. "Aren't you coming?"

He stared at her for a moment, taking her in. Her angry expression, her red and black sweater, her eyes that were so blue, it was like she took a piece of the sky and took in with her to the Underground.

"Well?"

"Of course," he answered, walking up to stand next to her. She didn't fail to notice the footprints that trailed behind him.


	10. Chapter 9

Even though Marinette had let go of the fact that Chat didn't answer her question, she was still rather unsettled. He hadn't left footprints the two times she'd checked, and when she finally confronted him about it, it seemed almost as if he left footprints on purpose.

She cast a sideways look at him, trying not to let him know that she was looking at him. He walked sort of gracefully, striding along like he was going down a runway, and his expression was open and giving. So what wasn't he telling her?

Her thoughts were interrupted when he noticed she was staring, and she quickly looked away.

When she had avoided his eyes, she saw that they had almost walked by a save point with a table and a microwave a couple of feet away, a mouse hole in the wall behind the setup. Thankful for the distraction (because she knew Chat would no doubt try and ask what she was staring at and she didn't really feel like lying), Marinette grabbed his arm, stopping his stride.

"Look," she said, pointing to the table. Chat stopped walking and looked at the table, a soft smile spreading across his face.

"You know-" Marinette touched her finger to the save, and the world went still.

Chat was looking back at her, his lips parted and turned up in a smile. His eyes, which had lost their color, still glowed at her invitingly, and his position was relaxed and at ease. She felt herself swallow hard.

"You're the worst," she whispered to him before looking at the message that had popped up in front of her.

 _ **Knowing the mouse might find a way to heat up the spaghetti…**_

 _ **It fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Before pressing yes, Marinette stared at Chat, a heavy feeling settling in her chest. He reminded her somewhat of someone she used to know, but she couldn't let her thoughts wander to such places.

So she looked at Chat like he was an entertaining stranger and pressed the 'yes' button.

"-Nino actually…" Chat trailed off, and his posture stiffened. His ears, which Marinette had thought were just props, twitched. He stared at her.

"What?" she asked, a tingling sensation crawling up her back. "What's wrong?"

"I thought I…" He trailed off again, and for a couple of moments, they just stared at each other, a million thoughts going unsaid between them. And then he relaxed, running a hand through his hair. "Never mind."

"You… You were saying something about Nino?" Marinette asked, trying to keep her voice steady. She didn't know how, but she knew that Chat had somehow sensed that something was up with the save points.

"Right. Yeah." His ears twitched again, and she could tell it took him a massive amount of effort to resume what he was saying. "Nino actually loves cooking," he said, gesturing to a table with a plate of spaghetti on it, though he still seemed a bit distracted.

"Really?"

"Yeah. He's been gaining a bit more confidence in putting himself out there. Which is, you know, why he's so…"

"Enthusiastic?"

"Yeah." He was shifting from foot to foot, his eyes moving constantly to look at the area surrounding them. There was obviously something on his mind, and Marinette guessed it was something he didn't want to tell her.

"Do you have something important to do?" she asked somewhat hesitantly, and his gaze snapped back to her. At first, he looked like he was about to deny it, but as she continued looking at him with waiting eyes, he seemed to cave in.

"Actually, I… Yes, I do." He paused, giving her a pleading look. "Is it okay if I leave you for a bit?"

"I don't see why it wouldn't be," she said with a shrug, as if the thought of going through the Underground alone didn't give her chills. "And I don't mind as long as you let me know. Because last time you left without a word. Or a trace."

He winced. "I'm very sorry about that."

"Yeah."

A pause. He continued to shift uncomfortably.

"Well? If this thing is so important, why let me stop you?"

"Buginette-"

"Chat," Marinette interrupted, giving him a soft smile. "Go." He let out a breath, and the grateful look he gave her made her heart thump. And then he nodded to her, sprinting off to the next area, leaving a trail of footprints.

For some reason, she doubted that footprints would be seen in the next area.

Pushing Chat out of her mind, Marinette turned to the table with the plate of spaghetti on it. There was a note beside the plate written in a familiar all-caps script.

 _ **Human!**_

 _ **PLEASE ENJOY THIS SPAGHETTI!**_

 _ **(THIS SPAGHETTI IS ACTUALLY A TRAP… DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU!**_

 _ **YOU'LL BE SO BUSY EATING IT, YOU WON'T REALIZE YOU AREN'T PROGRESSING!**_

 _ **HOW SMART OF ME!)**_

 _ **-NINO, THE BUBBLER**_

Marinette smiled to herself, feeling a bit like Chat. Sure, she didn't know Nino that well, and he was set on capturing her, but she felt an overwhelming sense that he was harmless and kind.

Now that she was closer to the plate of spaghetti, she saw that it looked a bit on the frozen side. She picked up the fork next to the plate and tried prying some of the noodles off the plate but found that she couldn't. At all.

Next to the plate was a microwave with all the buttons covered with sticky notes that said 'spaghetti.'

She moved on to the next area, and, even though she was trying not to think about anything to do with Chat, she couldn't help but notice that there wasn't a footprint in sight. She bit the inside of her cheek, removing her eyes from the ground and looking at a sign that was next to her.

 _ **Warning:**_

 _ **Dog Marriage**_

Marinette snorted, starting to walk away from the sign. It shouldn't have been funny because most signs she'd seen so far had been true, but what kind of warning is 'dog marriage?'

Speaking of dogs.

The red heart peeled away from her chest, and Marinette looked up from the heart to see a dog in armor standing before her, holding a sword and a shield.

"What."

The name floating above the dog was 'Lesser Dog.'

 _Does that mean there's a Greater Dog?_

Lesser Dog panted happily at her, a small white dog jumping out from behind it. The white dog jumped at Marinette, but, even though she would've liked to pet it, she knew enough about white objects in fights to avoid it. The white dog jumped around, trying to catch the red heart.

In her pocket, the Miraculous beeped, and Marinette pulled it out, only to feel a bit assaulted by the massive amount of paper slips that were spewing out of the slot. Every single one of them said the same thing: _'pet.'_

She glanced over at the heart, which was letting the small dog try and chase it around. "I think I should pet it." Marinette lifted her hand, and the Lesser Dog immediately noticed, panting excitedly. The name floating above it's head turned yellow.

"That's all?"

The red heart raced back to her as the white dog dissolved, confirming that yes, that was all. The Lesser Dog bounded away.

Marinette continued on her way, choosing the downward path first. There were spikes blocking the rest of the path and a patch of perfectly white snow covering what looked like a large square platform. She squatted down, clearing some of the snow away, revealing a map.

"'X' marks the spot," she whispered, noticing the 'x' on the map in bright red. She took note of where she should go, then stood up again, going up to the other path she'd seen before taking the downward one.

Before she could get any further, however, the red heart made its appearance once more, along with three akumas: an Icecap, a Snowdrake, and… a Jerry? Both the Icecap and the Snowdrake didn't seem to like the fact that a Jerry was with them.

Icicles and weird crescent shaped ice things materialized around Snowdrake and Icecap, but nothing materialized around Jerry. Marinette, who'd been once again staring at the Icecap's hat, tore her eyes away from it, already knowing that ignoring it was the right choice.

She danced away from the icicles and crescent ice things easily, although a couple of stray ones hit the heart. Marinette felt the pain shoot through her chest but tried her best to ignore it, continuing to avoid the ice attacks while the heart recovered. Jerry scoffed. "Wow. You guys suck at this."

Icecap, who was already mad because Marinette wasn't paying attention to its hat, fumed. The icicles around it faltered.

"Hey, now," the Snowdrake said, and Icecap was already rolling its eyes, "don't _flake_ out on me." It gestured to the snowflakes around them. Marinette made eye contact with the Icecap. Both of them rolled their eyes.

Snowdrake grinned, making finger guns and chuckling to itself. Marinette realized she was looking at Icecap's hat again and quickly looked away, making the Icecap make a frustrated noise in the back of its throat.

"Fine! I'll ignore you, too!" The icicles dissolved and Icecap disappeared. Jerry sighed dramatically.

"Why are we even doing this?" Jerry asked, and Snowdrake pointedly ignored him. "Also, I, like, need a ride, you know?" Snowdrake still ignored him.

"Aw, man… It looks like he _flaked_ out on me," Snowdrake said, gesturing to the snowflakes again and making finger guns at Marinette. She made a face, but then her Miraculous beeped, and she took it out, thankful for the distraction from Snowdrake's unrelenting finger guns and Jerry's annoying sighs.

' _Laugh.'_

Easy enough.

Marinette looked back up at the Snowdrake, who was still making finger guns at her. "Oh! Ha ha ha! How funny!" She tried her best to not sound sarcastic, but she was kind of afraid it didn't work.

Snowdrake, however, didn't seem to notice. It looked like it was glowing with pride. "See?! Laughs! Dad was wrong!" He bounded away giddily, probably to go share the news with his friends.

"Oh, wow," Marinette said, staring after Snowdrake and thinking that it was sort of sad. Jerry, however, seemed insensitive to such a momentous occasion in Snowdrake's life.

"So, like, my ride just left…" Jerry trailed off, looking expectantly at Marinette. "So can _you_ give me a ride?" It pulled out a package of powdery food and starting eating, licking it's hands loudly.

Marinette shivered. "Yeah, uh, no." As soon as Jerry looked away, Marinette snuck away, quite thoroughly ditching it. She didn't even feel slightly guilty.

As she walked away, she heard Jerry wander away, sighing dramatically and crunching loudly on its food. The red heart sunk back into her chest.

She continued walking, this time uninterrupted by akumas trying to fight her. At the end of the other path was a patch of dark snow. She walked up to it and felt around with her foot until she found a switch the map was definitely referring to. She knelt down to flick the switch it, and, sure enough, there was a loud clicking sound coming from the direction of the other path.

"Nice." She walked back the way she'd come, noticing the Dog Marriage sign. What could that even mean? She jumped over the spike platforms, and then promptly froze in place, the sign suddenly making sense.

Two dog-ish looking akumas lumbered their way over to her, sticking their noses up in the air and giving her the stink eye. Both wore dark cloaks and carried axes, though the axes seemed to made of different material – one of rock and the other weird pink slime.

"What's that smell?" asked one of the akumas, who looked the more feminine of the two, given that it was smaller and had a sort of higher pitched voice.

"Where's that smell?" asked the bigger of the two, who was holding the rock ax.

"If you're a smell…"

"Identify yoursmellf!"

The akuma holding the pink slime ax sniffed at Marinette, and she saw behind it's hood, seeing that it was in fact, a small dog-woman with yellow eyes and pink and blue skin. "Hm," it said, squinting its eyes at Marinette, "here's that smell."

"It makes me want to eliminate." The other one leaned in, revealing it's gray and rock-like skin. "Eliminate you!" The red heart once again made its appearance, and Marinette sighed. _I can never get a break, can I?_

Mylene and Ivan stood side by side in front of Marinette, quite obviously a sickeningly cute couple. They looked at each other before nodding, turning their attention to Marinette and raising their axes.

Marinette jumped away as their axes swung toward her, but the heart wasn't fast enough.

Both axes hit her red heart, splitting it in half, and then a million pieces. Pain tore through Marinette's chest. She saw the pieces of her heart land in the snow, their glow fading.

The world went black.

 _I've died._

Marinette opened her eyes. She was floating in an empty space, absolute nothingness surrounding her.

She blinked, rubbing her eyes. _Is this what death feels like?_

"Look at you, kid," said a voice behind her. She whipped around, not expecting for there to be anyone else to be in this empty space. A familiar blurry and gray person stood behind her, their red glow temporarily blinding her.

"You!" Marinette exclaimed once she regained focus.

"Yes, me," the person said, crossing their red-clad arms. The eye slits in their domino mask narrowed at her, and Marinette gulped. "You died."

"Um, yeah, I guess," Marinette said, scratching the back of her neck. "It doesn't really feel like it though."

The person waved their hand. "It doesn't matter if it felt like it or not, you died."

"No need to rub it in," she grumbled. The person sighed, rubbing their face with their blurry hand.

"I'm sorry, kid, it's just, well, I didn't expect you to die this early."

Marinette looked down at her boots, not saying anything.

"You might remember the last time we talked," the person said, and Marinette looked back up, playing with her fingers. "I told you that you are extremely important in the fate of the akumas. That's still true."

"I'm dead, in case you forgot."

"You can't give up."

"I didn't. I died."

"Giving up and dying is the same thing." Marinette made a noise of protest, but the person held up a blurred hand. "The point is you can't give up just yet."

"Why not?" Marinette asked, looking around at the emptiness around her. "Why should I keep going? I think I've told you this already, but I'm not suited to save the akumas. They don't need someone like me."

"Oh, but they do," the person said, holding up a finger. "You _are_ suited to save the akumas. Because you know what it feels like to be ridiculed for things you can't control." Marinette stepped back, memories she'd tried to suppress flooding to the surface. "You know what it's like to be held captive."

Anger pumped through Marinette's veins. "Don't you dare remind me of that," she growled. "It's not your place to speak of such things." Her throat was closing up, like she was going to cry, but she refused, glaring at the blurry person, who seemed satisfied with her reaction.

"Don't you see? The akumas are going through what you were forced to go through. You can set them free." Marinette deflated, covering her face with her hands.

"I could barely even set myself free. And when I did…" She trailed off, thinking back to the pain of landing ungracefully on hard ground. "I fell here. I can't save them. I couldn't even save myself."

The person placed their blurry hands on Marinette's shoulders, forcing her to look up at them. "You can, and you will. Sure, you couldn't save yourself back then, but you can now."

"What makes you so sure?"

Marinette couldn't see the person's facial expressions clearly, but she could've sworn they were smiling. "Stay determined, Marinette."

She gasped, her eyes shooting open.

The world was gray around her, and there was a message floating in the air above her.

 _ **Knowing the mouse might find a way to heat up the spaghetti…**_

 _ **It fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Marinette stood up, breathing hard, her heart beating fast. As if it was reminding her that she was alive.

 _I died._

A bit behind the save message stood Chat, his expression open and kind.

 _But I'm alive._

She pressed the 'yes' button, and color flooded back into the world.


	11. Chapter 10

Chat stood stock still, his bright green eyes trained on Marinette. "You…" He could've sworn he wasn't in this particular spot a second ago. A feeling of déjà vu spread through his body.

Marinette was staring at him with her head cocked to the side, her expression innocent. She blinked at him. "What's wrong?" Chat's ears twitched.

He looked around. He was certain he had been…

"I have to go," he said, and Marinette raised her eyebrows.

She started to say something, and then stopped herself. Clearing her throat, she tried again. "Why?"

There was something about her expression that felt just a tad bit off. Sure, she looked innocent, but he could've sworn he had already left her. "I have to do something important. You know, cat things," he added with a wink, trying to play down the tension he'd created.

"At least you let me know this time." More familiar words.

"And I'm extremely sorry about that." Hadn't he said this before?

"It's alright, Chat." Despite the soft smile that was on her lips, there was something tense in her eyes. Her arms were wrapped tightly around her waist. Her knees seemed to shake a little, and he didn't think it was from the cold. He hesitated.

"Buginette-"

"Really, Chat," she insisted. She looked on the verge of collapsing. Even if he did sense something strange, he didn't think it'd be right to leave her when she was so obviously disturbed by something. _"Go,"_ Marinette insisted once more, and there was something about how she said it that made him take a step back.

For a moment, they stared at each other, unspoken words traveling between their gazes, and finally, he turned, leaping away. Before he left for good, he looked back. She was staring blankly at the snow, her arms still wrapped around herself. He left.

Marinette knew he had looked back. That's why she saved her breakdown until after she knew he was gone.

She had thought she was fine with dying and coming back to life, but the shock of living again hadn't impacted her until she talked with Chat as if she hadn't just _died._ As if he hadn't left already and she hadn't pretended to not care.

Her legs gave out and she sat for a moment in the snow, her hands clasped tightly in her lap, tears prickling at the back of her eyes. She was remembering things she didn't want to remember, and it hurt. Everything hurt.

It was a while before she stood back up and dusted the snow off her knees and wiped her eyes. It was a while before she managed to pull herself together.

Death and unwanted memories can traumatize a person that way.

She walked shakily to the next area, flipping the switch without even looking at the map. Of course, she'd have to fight against Mylene and Ivan again, and she was trying to prepare herself for it.

When she stepped over the metal plates where the spikes had been, she stopped walking. Sure enough, two hooded and slightly dog-like figures approached her.

They launched into their spiel about smells and how they didn't like her smell, and then the fight actually started. Her red heart, alive and glowing, emerged from her chest.

"Try not to get hurt this time, okay?" Marinette asked it. It seemed to have the good grace to look embarrassed.

Mylene and Ivan looked at each other with heart eyes, and then turned to Marinette, raising their axes. She knew what was coming, so she quickly took her heart in her hands and sprinted out of the way, just as both axes swung down in the spot she'd been.

In her pocket, the Miraculous beeped, and she released the heart. "Try not to get hit," she whispered, and it zoomed off, trying to distract the two akumas who were swinging their axes and saying sickly sweet things to each other.

Marinette pulled out the yo-yo, trying to ignore the torrent of gross sweet words spewing from Ivan's mouth. The slip of paper once again distributed its knowledge in the form of two rather worrying words: _'roll around.'_

"Why?" Marinette demanded, shaking the yo-yo a bit to release her frustrations. She glanced over at her heart, which had just barely avoided a duel ax swing. "Be careful!" she shouted, feeling like she was looking after a reckless child.

Abandoning her common sense, Marinette dove to the ground, rolling around in the snow quite thoroughly. When she was covered in both dirt and snow, she stood up again, feeling like a weird dog.

Both Mylene and Ivan immediately stopped trying to slice Marinette's heart in half and turned to Marinette, their noses in the air. They stepped closer to her.

"What?" Ivan asked. "You smell like a…"

"Are you actually a little puppy?" Mylene asked, sniffing Marinette again. Mylene looked over at Ivan, who looked just as confused and concerned as she looked.

"Are you maybe a lost puppy?" Ivan asked. Marinette shrugged nervously. Their names were still white, so she didn't think she could spare them, so she just stood there awkwardly for a moment. And then her Miraculous beeped again.

She felt the familiar warm glow of her heart hiding in her hair as she lifted the Miraculous up to read the slip of paper. ' _Pet.'_

 _Why?_ Marinette thought to herself, gulping and looking back up at Mylene and Ivan, who were still examining her closely. She looked over at her heart, which made a shrugging gesture.

Once again, she had to abandon her common sense as she lifted a shaking hand and pet the top of Mylene's head softly. Mylene stared at Marinette in awe. "A dog that pets other dogs… Amazing," she whispered.

"What about me?" Ivan asked, and Marinette pet him, too. He looked just as amazed as Mylene. "Wow! Pet by another pup!" Their names turned yellow.

Her heart sunk back into her chest as Mylene looked over to Ivan. "Dogs can pet other dogs?"

"A new world has opened up for us!" he exclaimed, and they both bounded off, shouting their thanks to Marinette as they went.

"Um, have a nice day?" she said, though she was sure they didn't hear her.

In the next area was another puzzle, but this one looked a bit different than any of the others she'd come across. There were rocks set up around two large blue x's painted into the snow. By the rocks were a switch and a sign. Spikes blocked the rest of the path.

Marinette walked over to the sign, bending down to examine it closely.

 _ **Turn every 'X' into an 'O'**_

 _ **Then press the switch.**_

"Sounds easy enough," Marinette muttered, walking over to the x's and tapping her foot on them. With a flash, the x's turned into o's, and she walked over to the switch, glad that this puzzle wasn't so difficult. She tapped the switch with her foot, and the spike retracted into their metal plates, allowing access to the rest of the path.

As she stepped over the metal plates, Marinette quite literally ran into Nino. Both of them stumbled back, Marinette kind of embarrassed and Nino looking unbothered. "Human! You should watch where you're going!"

"I'm sorry," Marinette said, her face heating up.

"It's quite alright, but, tell me, how'd you get past my trap?" Nino asked, crossing his arms and leaning down so that he was eye-level with her.

"Trap?"

"Yes, the spaghetti!"

"Oh, that." The spaghetti at the save point that had been too cold to even get off the plate. That spaghetti. "Um, I left it?"

"You did?!" Nino exclaimed, placing a hand on his chest. Marinette wondered if he was offended. "You mean you left it so that you could save some for me?" Not offended, it seemed.

"I mean-"

"Don't worry, human!" Nino interrupted, looking quite pleased, "I'll make more spaghetti for you so that you won't have to worry about sharing!" He started listing off ingredients he needed to buy, and Marinette stood nervously, wondering if she should tell him that he shouldn't worry about that.

"Well, I'll take care of that later," he said with a wave of his hand. "Anyway, the next puzzle I have for you isn't too far off, so how about we walk together?"

"Alright," Marinette answered, starting to walk next to Nino. _He's not very different from Chat, now that I think about it…_ "If you don't mind me asking, where's your friend?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Oh, you mean Chat?" She nodded. "He's so lazy," Nino said with a roll of his eyes. "I wanted him to help with this next puzzle, but he said he had something really important to take care of. By that he probably means he wants to take a nap."

"Probably." In reality, it really did seem like he needed to do something important when he left her, but there was no telling what it was he wanted to do. And besides, if she told Nino that, he'd probably get mad at Chat for escorting her.

"Speaking of Chat, he started a sock collection recently." Marinette raised her eyebrows, looking over at Nino. "I know," Nino said with a roll of his eyes. "Pathetic, right? Seriously, that cat needs new hobbies. What would he even do with me?"

"Nap all day?"

"Exactly!" Nino sighed exasperatedly. "Anyway, here we are!" Marinette looked away from Nino at the arrangement of rocks and blue x's in the snow. "Oh, wait…"

"What's wrong?"

"It seems that the puzzle has changed," Nino said, examining the puzzle with a worried gaze. "Yeah, it's changed. And now I don't know the answer to it."

"That's… unfortunate." There were more spikes blocking the rest of the path, and she didn't think either her or Nino would be able to step over them. "What do we do?"

Nino shrugged. "I guess try and solve it to get past."

"Makes sense." Marinette looked around, her eyes catching on something in a pine tree by the puzzle. Her curiosity made her walk over to the tree, squatting down to get a closer look.

The thing that had caught her eye was a switch on the bark of the tree. Even though the outcome could be literally anything, Marinette flipped the switch.

There was a loud clacking noise, and when she turned around, she saw that the spikes had retracted into their metal plates and all of the x's had turned into o's.

"You solved it!" Nino exclaimed, looking in awe at Marinette.

"I didn't really-"

"Now we can both get past!" Nino took her arm and practically dragged her across the metal plates until they arrived into the next area, only letting go of her when they had arrived at another puzzle.

"You stay here, okay?"

"Um, okay," Marinette said, doing as she was told as Nino bounded across the gray tiles in front of them. She looked down at the tiles, which seemed harmless enough, but she knew it was probably otherwise.

When she looked back up, Chat was standing next to Nino, looking nonchalant as ever. _How does he do that?_

"Now that everyone is present," Nino said, glaring pointedly at Chat, as if all he's done was arrive late and not appear out of nowhere, "we can start this!"

Marinette stared at Chat. He winked at her. She made a face at him.

"Human! You're going to love this puzzle," Nino said to Marinette, and she immediately knew that she was not going to love it. "It was made by the great Dr. Sabrina!"

"She isn't that great," Chat muttered under his breath, and Marinette tried to hide her laugh.

"You see these tiles?" Nino asked as if he hadn't heard Chat. "When I flip this switch" – he gestured to a complicated machine next to him with a switch sticking out of it – "the tiles will start to change color. Each color has a different function."

Already, Marinette did not like this puzzle at all.

"Now, pay attention closely: red tiles are impassable, which means you can't walk on them, yellow tiles are electric…" As Nino droned on about tile meanings, Marinette felt herself start to zone out. She never was one to be good at paying attention, and her mind wandered to things it shouldn't be wandering to.

 _I've never been one to be afraid of death, well, not really, I think._

Nino continued talking. Chat was pretending to fall asleep. "Pink tiles don't do anything…"

 _But I didn't think it would affect me the way it did. I didn't think I'd be so disturbed._

"Purple tiles may you..." She was staring blankly at the tiles.

 _I've always wanted…_

"How was that?" Nino's sort of out of breath voice brought Marinette out of her thoughts. "Do you understand?"

Of course not. But did she really want to try and listen through another dull explanation? No.

"Yeah, I understand," she lied.

"Great! Now, I should inform you that this puzzle is entirely random. When I flip this switch" – Nino gestured to the switch – "the machine will generate a puzzle that has never been seen before!"

"Interesting," Marinette said. She should've been scared, but she really wasn't, for some reason.

"Get ready!" Nino said. He flipped the switch.

The gray tiles burst to life with color, alternating quickly between the different colors until, finally, they settled on two: a straight pink path through red tiles.

Even though she'd been zoning out, Marinette vaguely recalled that the pink tiles didn't do anything, and she couldn't believe her luck. She walked across the pink tiles with ease.

Nino stared at the machine, and then at Marinette. He walked to the next area without saying another word.

She turned to Chat, who was staring after Nino with an amused look on his face. "Did you finish that important thing you had to do?"

Chat shifted uncomfortably. "Not really, but I'll take care of it later. Don't you worry," he added with a wink.

"Well, do I get my guide back?" Marinette asked, trying to ignore the fact that the last time she'd seen him she'd just died.

"Of course, my lady," he said with an over exaggerated bow. He held out his arm, and she took it gratefully.

"Why, thank you, my good man," she joked as he lead her to the next area.

A dog in armor was staring intently at a mound of snow, and Chat shushed Marinette, even though she wasn't saying anything. "Here we witness a dog in its natural habitat doing what all dogs do," he whispered.

"And what is the dog doing?" Marinette whispered back, figuring she might as well play along.

"Making art." Marinette gave Chat a look, and he laughed. "You never know, little bug."

A few feet from the dog, a save point glittered in the snow. Marinette steered Chat over, and then touched the save point lightly with the tip of her boot. She knew that the last time she'd saved in front of Chat, he'd acted strange, but now that she knew that the saves actually served a purpose, she couldn't just pass one by.

 _ **Knowing that dog will never give up trying to make the perfect snowdog…**_

 _ **It fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

She pressed the 'yes' button quickly, and when the world filled with color and the snow started falling once more, she felt Chat's muscles tense. "What's wrong?"

He looked down at her, and, although he looked troubled at first, his expression relaxed. "Nothing. I'm alright."

They both knew he was lying, but decided to ignore it.

Another puzzle greeted them when they reached the next area, with more x's and some slippery ice. Marinette felt herself make a face. "Why are there so many puzzles _everywhere?"_

Chat looked down, saw the face she was making, and promptly burst out laughing. She immediately stopped making the face, her cheeks turning red. "Akumas like puzzles," Chat said when he had calmed down and wiped the tears away from his eyes.

"Well, do _you_ like puzzles?" she asked, still sort of pouting from being made fun of.

"Not particularly," he answered, guiding her onto the ice. They passed over a couple of x's, turning them into o's, but then the edge of the ice, which dropped off into a sort of abyss, came into view.

"Chat, wait-"

Too late.

Both of them slid off the ice, Marinette screaming and Chat laughing all the way down.

They landed ungracefully, Marinette on top of Chat, her face buried into his chest. She could feel his heart beating loudly and sort of erratically, his breaths coming out in puffs onto the top of her head.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me, bugaboo," he said slyly, and Marinette groaned, rolling herself off of him.

She glared at him as he sat up, and he grinned, shaking the snow out of his hair. "You totally did that on purpose," she said, standing up and offering him a hand.

"I totally did," he admitted, taking her hand.

Rolling her eyes, she brushed the snow off her knees and blew the hair out of her face. Once she had gotten herself situated, she noticed a very elaborate and well-made snow replica of Nino. Next to snow Nino was a mound of snow with _'Chat'_ written on it in green marker.

She turned to him, raising her eyebrows. "Are you seriously that lazily?"

He shrugged. "I helped Nino with his. He insisted that I do one for myself, but I didn't really feel like it."

"So your solution was to write your name on a lump of snow?"

"Pretty much."

Shaking her head, Marinette walked up the only path there was to follow, Chat tagging along close behind.

Back at the puzzle, Chat took her arm again, but Marinette stopped him before he could lead her anywhere. "Oh, no you don't. _I'm_ leading this time."

"If you insist," Chat said with a shrug, although the grin on his face made Marinette want to punch him.

She surveyed the puzzle until she saw a clear path, and then she pulled Chat along, sliding gracefully across the ice and completing the puzzle without a hitch. As they landed on the switch, Marinette looked up at Chat in triumph, the broken path in front of them righting itself now that they'd finished the puzzle.

"Well, aren't you the puzzle queen?" Chat asked as she pulled him off the ice and to the path.

"Yeah, yeah, shut up." She started to walk forward, the stopped, making Chat stumble a little. He looked back at her, a question on his face. "It's dark," she said, eyeing the tall trees that blocked light ahead.

"It won't last that long," Chat said, but he made no move to pull her forward.

"I… I don't like dark places." Thanks to Chat and Nino, she hadn't felt fear in a while. Even when she'd died, there was no time to feel fear. But now, it started trickling back into her bones. She tried to hide her shaking from Chat, but he seemed to notice anyway.

"You won't be alone."

"It doesn't matter."

"Doesn't it?" He unlinked their arms. Without his support, she felt as if she might fall. But then.

But then he took her hand in his, and she felt just a little bit better.

Of course, he had no idea why she feared dark places or what would make her fear dark places, but he was determined to help her so that she wouldn't be as scared.

"You won't be alone," he repeated, and she figured that maybe it mattered, a little. He lifted their hands so that she could see them perfectly, his leather-clad hand bound to her pale and shaking one. "You won't be alone because I'll be right beside you."

"Okay," she whispered.

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

And with that, together they stepped forward into the darkness.


	12. Chapter 11

Immediately after they'd taken their first step, Chat felt Marinette's hand squeeze his rather hard. She was terrified, and it kind of hurt his heart a little.

Their steps were the only sound that they could hear, and Marinette found the combination of silence and darkness unbearable. "Talk to me," she whispered, though she didn't mean for it to be a whisper.

"What do you want me to talk about?" Chat asked, his sort of loud voice making her flinch.

"Something. Anything. Everything."

He was quiet for a moment, and Marinette kept her mind off of terrible things by trying to imagine his thinking face. Finally, he spoke again. "How about I tell you a story?"

"That's fine." Her throat was constricting. She felt like she was choking, suffocating, dying.

He cleared his throat theatrically. Despite her fear, the small gesture made her lips flicker up in a smile. "Once upon a time, there lived a superhero."

The fact that she didn't respond with a witty quip about his terrible intro said a lot about how scared she was.

"She was brave, and strong, and smart, and beautiful – all rolled into one." She still didn't say anything. "Kind of like you," he said, giving her hand a squeeze. He could almost picture her rolling her eyes as she squeezed his hand back.

"And then, one day, when the superhero was saving the city from a bad guy, she saved one particular man who caught her attention. This man was handsome and frustratingly stubborn and he sort of annoyed her, but it was alright. Well, not really."

He paused dramatically. Too long. "Keep talking," Marinette whispered, her throat closing up again. Chat's words wrapped her up in a soft blanket of almost-comfort, and without it, she felt as if she might drown.

"You see," Chat continued quickly, giving her hand an apologetic squeeze, "this man just wouldn't stay out of trouble. Any time the superhero needed to save the city, he was always caught up in the all the action. Soon enough, they started to enjoy their time together, even if they were always in mortal peril when they were next to each other."

She could see light ahead.

"Finally, they decided to be proper friends and hung out when nobody was in danger. They grew closer that way."

They stepped out of the dark woods, and Marinette let out a breath of relief. Slowly, her lungs started to function normally. She looked up at Chat, who was staring down at her, worry plainly written on his face.

"Was that the end of the story?" Marinette asked, and Chat raised his eyebrows in surprise.

" _That's_ what you're worried about? When we just walked through darkness and you almost-"

"Did they get a happy ending?" she interrupted. He stared down at her, his mouth slightly open. Any time something relatively serious happened with her, she always avoided it with that look in her icy blue eyes that said something along the lines of _'don't push it.'_

He made himself let it go, sighing and lifting her hand to his lips. "Of course they got a happy ending," he said, his lips brushing against her knuckles.

For a moment, she let it happen, staring up at him and letting him stare at her. He didn't get many opportunities to stare, so he drank her in: the dusting of freckles on her cheeks, her pink lips, her eyes that were soft and kind and somehow warm despite their icy color, her everything.

And then she flicked his nose, taking her hand away with a smirk. "What's that look for, kitty cat?" She turned, starting to walk forward, then stopping to look back at him, an amused expression on her face. "And wipe the snow of your head, dummy."

Chat batted the snow out of his hair, his eyes peeking through his bangs to peer at Marinette. She was standing ahead, surveying the two possible paths to follow, her hands on her hips.

"You know," Chat said, walking up next to her, "you're hair is a mess."

She cast him a sideways glance that was somewhere between amused and pissed. "Because I've totally traversed through the Underground without fighting a couple of akumas and dying," she said sarcastically, looking back at the two paths.

Marinette realized her mistake as soon as the words slipped through off her tongue. She didn't mean to casually mention that she'd _died_ within the past twenty-four hours, it just kind of _happened._ And now she could feel Chat's gaze boring into her cheek.

"Dying?"

"I meant that metaphorically, of course," she lied, a bead of sweat dripping down her back. _It's not like I was being completely serious about the whole 'dying' part – that would be ridiculous! Death? Never experienced it before. Because that would be weird._

"You've had to fight akumas?" Chat asked, his voice sounding a shade darker than usual.

"Of course. I'm a human, remember? Come on, even your own best friend wants to fight me," she responded nonchalantly, more than a little relieved that Chat had let go of the whole 'dying' thing.

When he didn't say anything, Marinette looked over at him, her hands dropping back to her sides as soon as she saw his face.

His expression was a terrible mixture of anger and guilt and something else she couldn't quite pinpoint. But whatever it was, it sort of scared her a bit. She took a shaky step back, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Chat?" Her voice trembled a bit, but not enough to actually make her stutter, and she was grateful for that.

"You shouldn't have to go through that."

"It's alright, really," Marinette reassured, recovering from her initial shock to lay a hesitant hand on his shoulder. "I know how to take care of myself."

"But just because you're something everyone else here is not, doesn't mean you should suffer for it." He was shaking. "It's not your fault that you're human."

Marinette wondered if he was really talking about her.

"I'm used to being blamed for things I can't control," she found herself saying, and she turned Chat so that he was looking at her.

"That's not okay."

"It isn't," she agreed, nodding her head. For the first time, she understood what the person in her dreams meant when they said she could save the akumas. "But…" She trailed off, chewing her lip and looking for the right words. "But I am human, and there's nothing I can do about it. I have to accept it."

She wondered if she was really talking about herself.

"But you're getting attacked for it."

"That just means I have to make them understand that I didn't choose to be this way. That I'm like them." Where was this mentality when she needed it so long ago?

"Would if they don't understand?"

"Are black cats always so pessimistic?" she asked, giving him a half smile.

He didn't answer, instead surveying her face as if he was trying to memorize it. "If anyone tries to fight you or if you're ever in trouble-"

"My knight has got me covered, got it," Marinette interrupted, turning away from him to hide her burning cheeks. "Now, which way, oh loyal guide?"

She could feel his eyes still on her, and it only made her face heat up even more. "Bug…"

"Which way?" she repeated, trying to get herself under control.

Finally, he seemed to give in, sighing loudly enough for her to notice, but not saying anything about her terrible aversion techniques. "The southern path."

"May I ask why?" she asked, looking at him now that she was sure her face wasn't the color of a fire truck.

"It's more fun this way," he promised, finally giving her a grin.

"If you say so," she said with a shrug, linking her arm with his as he led her down the path.

It was a relatively boring path, save for the crevices in the wall that had glowing eyes peeking out of them.

"Isn't that a bit creepy?" Marinette asked, though she wasn't really scared by the eyes.

"I'm sort of used to it," Chat replied, and when he blinked, his eyes glowed a bright green, brighter than the eyes in the crevices.

"Perks of being an akuma?"

"Something like that."

Before Marinette could contemplate his strange answer to an innocent question, her heart peeled away from her chest as a strange looking akuma appeared in front of them.

It looked sort of like a deer, but with a weird mouth and sharp teeth. Its antlers had bells, tinsel, and tiny decorated Christmas trees on them, and it was trying desperately to take them off, to now avail.

"Marinette…" At the sound of Chat's voice, Marinette remembered that it wasn't just her, and she suddenly remembered their conversation from earlier. "What is that?" His eyes were on her heart, which was glowing and pulsing slightly in front of her.

"Oh, um, it's my heart?"

"What?"

When the akuma noticed that Marinette and Chat stood in front of it, it trotted back, looking a bit scared. "Don't put any more on me!"

Chat was still looking at her, and Marinette decided that his confusion would have to wait. "I'll explain later, but right now, you've got to back off." Something in her voice made him do as he was told.

"Hello –" she glanced at the white name floating above the akuma's head "- Gyftrot." Her voice was soothing, and she had her hands up to show that they were empty. "I'm Marinette. I don't want to fight you."

The Gyftrot gave her a suspicious look. It sniffed softly, and Marinette wondered if it had been crying.

White spheres manifested around Gyftrot, radiating outward toward her, and she tried her best to avoid them. She glanced back at Chat to see if he knew to stay away from the white spheres, but the moment of distraction made her stay still for a moment too long.

A white sphere stuck to the skin on her knee, and she involuntarily cried out, pain searing into her skin.

"Marinette!" Chat shouted, starting to run to her.

"Stay back!" she managed to say, dropping to the ground and scraping the white sphere off her knee and into the snow, where it dissolved. She looked up at her heart, which was floating just above her. "Do your thing." It zoomed away, distracting the Gyftrot and leading its attention elsewhere.

Chat ran toward her and helped her stand up, his face a mask of worry. Her leg felt weak, and when she looked down, she saw that blood was running down from the place where the white sphere had touched her.

"I'll take care of it," Chat said, looking over at the Gyftrot, a dark look in his eyes as he reached behind his back.

Marinette grabbed his arm, stopping him from grabbing whatever weapon he had tied behind his back. "No you won't. I know how to deal with this." The Miraculous was beeping incessantly in her pocket, but, for once, she knew exactly what to do without having to look to it for advice.

Pain stabbed at her chest, and she let out a strangled curse, her legs almost giving out. Chat caught her before she could fall, starting to say something, but Marinette stopped him with a look.

She didn't have to say a word, but Chat understood. He helped her so that she was balanced once more, then begrudgingly took his hands off of her, looking so pained, Marinette wondered if it was really her who had gotten hurt.

"I leave you alone for one second," she said to her heart, which had probably gotten distracted by Chat helping her. It pulsed faintly, weaving between the white spheres floating through the air.

As quietly as she could manage, she limped toward the Gyftrot, which was still trying to attack her heart. Slowly, she reached for its antlers, removing some of the tinsel. Immediately, the Gyftrot started to relax.

"That's a little better…"

Chat stared at Marinette as she continued to remove the decorations from the Gyftrot, her features soft and caring despite the fact that blood was dripping down her leg and the white spheres hit her heart twice more. Both times, he saw her bite her lip, tears gathering in her eyes. But she didn't stop until the Gyftrot's antlers were completely bare.

The white spheres started to float back to the Gyftrot, who looked extremely relieved. Chat felt himself relax for a moment. And then he saw the heart start to float back to Marinette. He knew what was going to happen before it happened, but he shouted out a bit too late.

A stray white sphere collided with Marinette's heart.

Chat stood in shock, his eyes sliding over to Marinette.

She stared as her heart cracked in half before breaking into a dozen tiny pieces, littering the snowy ground with dull red shards.

She dropped to her knees.

He ran to her.

Too late.

Marinette sighed as she opened her eyes to find total darkness.

 _I've died._

 _Again._

"Really?" a familiar voice demanded, and she turned around, not at all shocked to find the blurry person in the glowing red bodysuit. "Last time was basically unavoidable, but this time? You died because of a silly mistake!"

"Sorry," Marinette found herself saying, shocked to see that the person was so angry. "I didn't-"

"Do you want to know what's happening right now because of you're stupid mistake?" they demanded, and Marinette stood in shocked silence. "Well?"

"I don't-"

Before she could finish her sentence, the darkness around them dissolved into bright white, and when Marinette blinked, she found herself back in the place where she'd died.

Chat was kneeling over her body, cradling her head. His shoulders were shaking, and when Marinette stepped closer, she saw that he was crying. There was no heart-wrenching sobs. Just silent tears and gasping breaths.

But somehow that was worse.

Marinette fell to her knees, staring at her own dead body. Blue eyes that weren't hers stared at nothing, dull and dead.

She tore her eyes away from Not-Marinette, and she saw Gyftrot cowering away from the scene. "No wonder all the other kids make fun of me. I really am a screw up," it whimpered, tears streaming from its eyes.

Chat gently laid Not-Marinette's head on the ground, standing up, shaking with rage. "You're going to pay for what you've done." His voice was calm, and that made it somehow scarier than if he'd yelled. The Gyftrot whimpered, squeezing its eyes shut.

She watched as Chat reached to a metal rod strapped to the back of his belt. He took it out from the straps, and with the press of a button, it elongated to a staff. He bared his teeth as he brought the staff up, and Gyftrot remained still, shaking with fear.

Marinette screamed as Chat swiftly brought the staff down.

The scene dissolved, and the darkness returned.

"Don't you see?" the person said. Their voice wasn't harsh or angry like before. It sounded almost sad and tired. Almost like they regretted showing Marinette.

She was crying, and every time she blinked, she could see her own dead body laid down in the snow.

"When you die, everything falls apart. That's why you have to live." They paused, reaching out a hand to Marinette, but then deciding better of it, their hand dropping back down to their side. "I'm sorry."

They were silent for a moment, and Marinette stared at nothing, trying to get the images she'd seen out of her head. "Please, just… Stay determined."

Marinette's eyes opened slowly, and she took a moment before she sat up. The world was gray around her, and she felt her heart clench as she saw Chat standing above her.

She wouldn't let herself die. Not if things would turn out the way they did for Chat and whoever else was caught in the crossfire.

Wiping her eyes, Marinette got to her feet, pressing the 'yes' button underneath the save message.

Chat froze, and Marinette peeked behind his back as he looked around. There was the metal rod strapped to his belt. She made a promise to herself that she wouldn't let him use it unless it was absolutely necessary.

When he was done looking around, he finally looked back at her. Her eyes were red, which he was sure they weren't a moment before.

In fact, he was sure that he was doing something else a moment before.

He clenched his hand. For some reason, he felt as if he should be holding his staff right now, though there was no danger in sight.

Despite his confusion, he snapped back to reality when Marinette wiped her nose on the back of her hand, sniffing quietly. Her hair was a mess, and her cheeks were red. She seemed to favor one of her legs over the other.

Something pulled at the back of Chat's mind, but he ignored it for now, choosing Marinette's well being over whatever was bothering him.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and she blinked, looking up at him with tired eyes.

She looked unbelievably troubled at first, but after a moment, it looked as if she forced herself to relax. "Nothing. I'm alright."

They both knew she was lying, but decided to ignore it.

The next area presented a puzzle Marinette already knew how to solve, but she let Chat take her arm anyway. "Allow me," he said, seeing the opportunity to cheer her up.

They slid onto the ice, and Marinette saw the edge of the ice drop off. Despite knowing what would happen, she still felt her stomach drop.

"Chat-"

Too late.

They slipped off the edge of the ice, and Marinette's screams dissolved into laughter, perfectly accompanying Chat as he let out a cackling laugh.

They landed ungracefully, Marinette on top of Chat. Her head was pressed to his chest, and she could hear his heart beating a steady rhythm that seemed to speed up slightly. She felt his breath on the top of her head, and she let herself relax in his arms for a moment.

"I didn't know you felt that way about me, bugaboo," Chat said, effectively ruining the moment.

Marinette rolled off of him, letting out a snort. "Shut up. You totally did that on purpose."

"I totally did."

For a moment, they lay side by side breathing fast, and hearts beating. Marinette put a hand on her heart, closing her eyes and feeling it beat, a reminder that she wasn't laying in the snow, dead and unseeing.

"Chat, can you promise me something?"

"I'll try my best."

She felt herself smile at his reply. "Promise me you'll control yourself if something were to happen to me."

"What?" He shifted so that he could look at her. Her eyes were wide open, and he felt something tug at his heart, but then she blinked, and the feeling went away.

"It's nobody's fault but mine if I get hurt, you know? Don't take out your anger on someone who is innocent." She knew it must've sounded weird to him, but she had to say it, just in case.

"What are you-"

 _Blue eyes stared at the sky, wide open, but not seeing a thing._

" _You're going to pay for what you've done."_

Chat blinked, a sudden headache pulsing behind his eyes. _What was that?_

"Do you promise?" Marinette asked, and Chat stared at her. He reached out a shaking hand, touching her face softly. She looked surprised at his gesture, but she let it happen.

She stared at him, not at the sky. She stared at him, and she saw him.

"I promise."

Chat didn't understand at all what he had seen or what he was feeling, but he was grateful that she was alive.

"Good," Marinette whispered, a lump forming in the back of her throat. She sat up, tearing her gaze away from Chat. She couldn't cry now, it wouldn't make sense.

Chat stood up, offering a hand to Marinette, and she took it. Even when they were both standing up, neither of them let go of each other's hands.

"Nice snowmen," Marinette complimented, referring to the snow Nino and the lump of snow that was supposedly Chat.

"I know, right?"

They walked back up the path hand in hand, and when Chat started to try and lead her again, she pulled him back, giving him a look. "Oh, no you don't. I'm leading this time."

She didn't even have to consider the path she should take, instead immediately stepping onto the ice and sliding easily through the puzzle, dragging an amazed Chat behind her.

The bridge righted itself in front of them, and as they crossed it, Marinette stopped momentarily, staring at the darkness in front of them. Now the dark scared her, but for an entirely different reason than before.

Chat stared at her, wondering why this felt so familiar. Wondering why he knew exactly what to say.

"You won't be alone."

Marinette turned to him in surprise, her mouth open just a little bit. She wondered how he knew what to say when, as far as he was concerned, this hadn't happened before.

And then she got over her initial shock, smiling a little. "I know."

"I'll be right beside you."

The fear started to go away. "I know."

"Are you ready?"

"Yeah."

They stepped into the darkness, and Marinette took in a sharp breath, squeezing his hand. It was pitch black, like she was dead again. She needed a reminder that she wasn't dead.

"Talk to me."

"What about?"

"Something. Anything. Everything."

Chat thought for a moment. "You know, I never feel like my costume is complete."

Marinette paused in her walking, but only for a moment. "What?"

"Like, sure, I'm a cat, but don't cats normally have a collar?"

"Why would you want a collar?" she asked, so surprised that the dialogue had changed that she forgot to be afraid.

"I don't know, but it sounds cute." He paused, and Marinette's mind went places that weren't necessarily bad, but were a bit too explicit to mention. "I-I mean," Chat stuttered, and Marinette blushed, realizing just what it was she was thinking about. "I mean, not a _collar_ collar, but, like, a bell, you know?" He was rushing through his words, and Marinette got the feeling that he knew just what it was she might've been thinking about.

"A bell?" she asked, clearing her thoughts of _explicit_ things.

"Yeah, a bell."

"Sounds cute," she admitted, and within a couple of steps, they were back in the light.

She looked up at Chat, and she saw that his face was rather pink. A grin slid onto her lips, and she decided that if the story would play out differently this time, she might as well have fun.

"Does the little kitty get flustered when I call him cute?" Marinette mocked, lifting his hand and brushing her lips against his gloved knuckles.

He looked at her, his face going from pink to red within the span of six seconds. "That's not fair," he pouted, and Marinette let go of his hand, brushing the snow off his head and giving his cheek a pat.

"It isn't? But you do it all the time, kitty."

"That's different."

"Is it?"

He opened and closed his mouth, and Marinette knew she had gotten him there. Clearing his throat, Chat looked away from her. "Which way?"

She suppressed a laugh. "You're supposed to be the guide."

"South it is, then," he said, and then paused, his eyebrows furrowing, a troubled look on his face. He suddenly regretted his choice to go south, but he didn't know why.

Marinette didn't seem to notice. "South we go."

She ignored the ghost pains of an injury she technically hadn't received as she walked, determined to make things go right.


	13. Chapter 12

"Do your eyes do that?" Marinette asked, gesturing to the glowing eyes peering out at them from the crevices in the wall. She knew full well that they did, but felt like she didn't appreciate it enough the first time.

Chat, who was seemingly lost in his thoughts, finally looked at her, his confused expression melting away into a grin. "What do you think?" he asked, leaning in. The next time he blinked, his eyes glowed green, and Marinette could see green imprints of light every time she blinked even after his eyes stopped glowing.

She rubbed her eyes, trying to hide her fascination with a smile. "Perks of being an akuma?"

"Something like that."

Again with a vague answer.

She rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to make fun of him, but before she could get a word out, her heart peeled away from her chest, and a slight sense of panic settled over her. Not for herself, really, but for the possible outcome.

"Is that… Is that your heart?" Chat asked, his voice confused and troubled.

"It is," Marinette confirmed, her eyes trained on the Gyftrot as it stumbled into view. Even though it had sort of killed her, she still felt bad for it as it tried desperately to remove the decorations from its antlers.

"Don't put any more on me!" the Gyftrot exclaimed when it saw Marinette and Chat.

"We won't," Marinette promised, raising her hands calmly and slowly to show that she was empty handed. It eyed her suspiciously non the less. "I'm Marinette," she introduced, her voice calm and steady. "And that's Chat over there. We don't want to hurt you."

As it sniffed, still giving her a suspicious look, Marinette was quite sure it had been crying.

White spheres manifested around the Gyftrot, and Chat felt himself stiffen. "Marinette-"

"Chat," she interrupted, her voice still as calm and soothing as ever, "I need you to protect yourself." The white spheres drifted through the air, finding their way to Marinette as she danced between them, the red heart floating in front of her mimicking her movements.

"I can take care of this-"

"You won't." Despite the fact that she still sounded very calm, there was a sternness in her voice that made Chat obey. "You will stay back and let me handle this. And you will take care of yourself."

Present boxes, both white and blue, appeared at the feet of the Gyftrot, and it kicked them toward Marinette. She sidestepped the white boxes, but her left foot stepped in the path of one of the blue boxes, and pain erupted from her foot, shooting up her leg and causing a curse to slip off her tongue.

"Marinette!"

"Shut up!" she yelled back, ignoring enough of the pain to scrape off the blue box from her boot and into the snow, where it dissolved. She turned to her heart, which was still weaving through the white spheres relatively near her. "Do your thing."

It zoomed away and led the present boxes and white spheres away from her, and as soon as the danger was further away, Chat hurried to Marinette, his features a mess of confusion and anger and worry.

Marinette was sitting rather ungracefully in the snow, her hands clutching her foot, which throbbed painfully. "Help me up," she ordered.

"Not before we assess your foot," Chat countered. There was a feeling in his gut that said he couldn't let her fight any further, and he planned to follow his gut feeling.

"No-" Before she could finish, she clutched her chest, gasping in pain. "Be careful!" she shouted to her heart once she recovered.

"You aren't getting back up. Not until I'm done taking care of this."

Her breathing was heavy, and sweat prickled her forehead, but there was clear determination in her eye that made Chat's resolve waver. "You aren't going to stop me."

And with that she pushed herself to her feet, only grunting slightly as she did so. Her obvious limp betrayed how much pain she was really in, though.

She started to limp toward the Gyftrot, and panic overwhelmed Chat. "What are you doing?" he demanded, grabbing her wrist to stop her.

"Taking care of this," she answered defiantly, snatching her wrist away.

There came a moment sometime during the three limping steps Marinette took forward when Chat realized he couldn't stop her and should therefore help her before she ends up dead.

At the thought of her dying, pain stabbed at his chest, but he ignored whatever was going on inside of him to rush to her side. "If you're sure about this, I'll help you. Where do you need to go?"

For a moment, she seemed as if she was about to refuse his help. But then she decided against it, wrapping her arm around his waist as he wrapped his arm around his shoulders. "I need to get close to the Gyftrot."

"How close?"

"Very."

Chat tried to ignore how uncomfortable this made him. "What for?"

"We have to undecorate it." Chat seemed about to say something else, but a look from her made him shut his mouth, instead choosing to support her as she limped toward the Gyftrot.

As soon as they were close enough, Marinette reached for a strand of tinsel, carefully uncoiling it from around an antler and tossing it in the snow once it was free. She was reaching for a stocking that was hanging from one of the tiny trees at the tip of the Gyftrot's antlers when a rather strange dizzying sensation pulled at her mind.

Suddenly, she wasn't standing behind the Gyftrot with Chat right next to her. Instead, she was in front of the Gyftrot, watching as her body undecorated its antlers with Chat, and she was avoiding the white spheres that were floating towards her.

 _I'm my heart._

One sphere in particular was headed directly for her (or rather, her heart), but she wasn't moving.

"To the left!" she shouted, back inside her body, her head whipping around to her heart. "Move to the left!" Her heart did as it was told, and Marinette relaxed.

"What…" Chat had just watched her completely focused on undecorating the Gyftrot, only to sort of zone out for a split second and then shout at the red heart that was currently serving as a distraction.

"I don't know," she said, and she was entirely serious. "It hasn't happened before, but it's not important right now." He wondered how she could just push things out of her mind so easily. "It'll be over quicker if you help."

And so he helped.

With every decoration taken off, the Gyftrot relaxed just a bit more. When the last decoration was taken off, the white spheres floated back to it, and Marinette held her breath, willing her heart to stay safe.

Chat, for reasons he was starting to grasp, no matter how confusing they may be, also held his breath.

But Marinette's heart returned to her chest unharmed, and Gyftrot looked absolutely satisfied. "A weight has been lifted," it said, bowing its head to Marinette, "thank you very much." It trotted away somewhat happily.

When the threat of death and pain was gone, Marinette felt her knees go weak. She had tried her best to keep a clear head despite the pain that radiated from her chest and foot, but now it was near impossible.

She sat down as gracefully as possible, which was basically saying that she collapsed in a sort of sitting position in the snow.

"Marinette!"

"I'm okay," she lied. She could feel her heart beat in her foot. This was probably not good.

"You're not," Chat replied, crouching down next to her. He sighed, feeling around in his pockets to see if he had anything that would help. "I don't have any food…"

"How would food help a throbbing foot?"

"Akuma food is special," Chat answered, giving up in searching his pockets. "It has healing properties because, well, we believe that food should always be a comfort. It makes you feel better. Even physically."

"Oh." Her thoughts drifted to somewhere it shouldn't, and she felt tears prick at her eyes.

"Oh, no, I knew it was bad," Chat said worriedly, assuming her tears were from the pain.

"It's not," Marinette insisted, even though it was. She vaguely remembered buying akuma food, and so she reached into her pocket, pulling out her yo-yo. Opening up the storage compartment, she pointed to the spider bake sale stuff, the Nice Cream, and the akuma candy. "You meant food like this, right?" she asked, her voice sort of airy and weak.

Instead of answering, Chat reached into the compartment, snatching up the akuma candy and swiftly unwrapping it. He stuffed it into her mouth rather aggressively, and Marinette used some of her strength to glare at him.

"You didn't have to be so rude about it," she said, already starting to feel the pain in her chest ease. Her foot, however, was another story entirely.

"I just want you to be okay." Marinette remembered watching him cry, and she softened. Chat cleared his throat, looking away from her face to turn his attention to her foot. "I don't think the candy is enough to fully heal you."

"Considering I can feel my pulse in my foot, I am inclined to agree."

Chat observed the stuff she had in the storage compartment with a thoughtful look. "I also think you should save the rest of what you have for later, in case you get hurt again."

"Which is guaranteed." Chat gave her a troubled look, but she waved her hand in dismissal. "What do you think we should do?"

He handed her the jug of spider cider, also taking out the scraps of cloths she'd been wearing when she had first fallen. The sight of her pink sweater and frayed shorts with the many holes burned into them made her heart hurt a little.

"Take a sip of that," he said, gesturing to the spider cider while examining her clothes. "Were these your clothes?"

She stared the small jug of spider cider, waiting for the akuma candy to dissolve. It tasted faintly of butterscotch.

"Marinette."

"What do you plan on using them for?" she asked instead of answering.

"Bandaging your foot," he said with a sigh. He was fully aware that Marinette was just avoiding the question, but he knew when to let go, even if he had no real idea why clothes would be a touchy subject for her. Judging from the many holes in the sweater, however, he could take a guess.

"I guess that makes sense," she said, sucking thoughtfully on the akuma candy. She avoided her thoughts by trying to decide what flavor it was. Sometimes it tasted like butterscotch, other times it tasted like chocolate chip cookies, other times it tasted like lemon cake.

Chat tore her sweater in half, which may seem impressive, but really wasn't because of the fact that the sweater was nearly in pieces. He was tearing the sweater into suitable strips for bandaging when he noticed the thoughtful look on her face. "What's that look for, little bug?"

He'd stopped using her real name, which meant he wasn't worried about her safety at the moment, which was honestly a bit relieving. "I was wondering what this candy tastes like."

"Aren't you eating it right now? How do you not know?"

"It changes flavors."

He frowned, glancing at the discarded wrapper in the snow next to them. It looked like just another candy wrapper. "That's strange. Regular candy like that should only be sticking to a flavor that means something to you."

Marinette raised her eyebrows. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, right, you're human" – she gave him a look – "so you wouldn't know that the candy here is kind of magical. It changes to a flavor that's close to the heart of the person eating it so that maximum comfort level is achieved." He stared at her thoughtful expression, which slowly turned into something more troubled. "What does it taste like now?"

She seemed to remember that he was in fact right next to her, and she slid her eyes over to him, her lips quirking up in a mischievous smile. "Care to find out?"

The look she was giving him combined with the words that passed through her lips was enough for every seeable part of Chat's skin to turn red. "If you're willing to let me," he said, continuing the flirtatious vibe, but also completely serious.

Scoffing, she rolled her eyes, going silent once more.

Chat decided it probably wasn't the best time to flirt, considering she was still in pain.

"I'm going to take off your shoe," he said after he was done tearing up her sweater, moving so that he could easily bandage her foot. She nodded, her grip on the jug of spider cider tightening.

He tried his best to remove her red rain boot as gently as possible, but he still heard Marinette whimper a small curse word. When he looked back up at her to make sure she was okay, she immediately put on an expression of dull impatience.

When he took off her sock, the severity of her injury made him want to cry. "Marinette…" He looked up at her, about to suggest that she just chug the entirety of the spider cider to make everything alright, but she was simply staring at her foot with a look of slight inconvenience.

"That doesn't look too good," she said, as if she were looking at a small cut on someone else's finger.

He wasn't sure why that made him so relieved, but it did, and he continued with the task at hand, shaking his head a little. Her foot looked burned, bloody and swollen in some places, and it seemed like some of the skin had been seared off at her toes, revealing the painful pink under layer. As he bandaged her foot, he was glad that he didn't have to see it anymore.

Marinette watched with a detached interest. She'd learned a long time ago that the best way to feel better faster is to emotionally distance yourself from whatever was troubling you. That way, if you get hurt, you can look on as if it's happening to someone else.

The akuma candy dissolved entirely in her mouth.

"It tasted like chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven." Chat paused in wrapping her foot, but he didn't look up. "Lemon cake with cream filling that's been chilled for a couple of hours." She wasn't looking at him or her foot, instead focusing her gaze to the sky, or whatever sky there could be underground. "Macaroons. Butterscotch cinnamon pie."

She listed off flavors as Chat finished wrapping up her foot, and Chat marveled at how many sweet things Marinette had had in her life that meant something to her. Normally, people only had one specific thing. She had dozens.

"Done," he said, tucking the stray strands of the sweater in so that it was perfect. "Are you done describing the candy flavor?"

Marinette thought for a second. _Not really, no._ "Yeah, pretty much." She let Chat put on her sock and boot, and she took a small sip of the spider cider, which eased the remaining pain of her foot into a dull throb.

A sudden thought occurred to her as she handed the jug back to Chat for him to put back in the Miraculous compartment. He knew about how the akuma candy worked, and how it was supposed to mean something to whoever ate it. Shouldn't that mean he's eaten it before?

"Chat?"

"Yes, my lady?" he drawled, closing up the compartment and looking back at her with a playful expression on his face.

"What does the akuma candy taste like for you?"

He figured it was only fair for her to know, since she had just revealed to him her billion favorite sweets. (Even though revealing more flavors might've seemed less personal, Chat found that it showed a lot about who Marinette was as a person.)

"Sugar cookies," he said after a moment, swallowing hard, "with royal icing."

"Decorated?"

"Definitely."

You couldn't taste decoration, but Marinette understood enough about how akuma candy worked to understand that the reason it tasted that way for Chat was because sugar cookies with royal icing had been important to him at some point.

"Those are always the best."

Chat said nothing, seemingly lost in past memories. He'd never actually admitted what the true flavor of the akuma candy was for him; he'd always supplied a ridiculous lie and then promptly avoided the topic.

Marinette stared, watching the many thought processes flicker across his face. She figured he hadn't old anyone the flavor before, and was now kind of regretting telling her. The obvious solution was to put that moment in the past as quickly as possible.

"Do you think I could rest for a moment?" she asked, and he pulled himself out of his thoughts. "I mean, I haven't really slept or sat down in… a while." She didn't think dying counted as rest.

"I could go for a quick cat nap myself," Chat admitted, standing up and offering her hand. "Let's go under the trees, that way we can both sleep easier."

She took his hand, and, with less difficulty than she'd been expecting, managed to stand up. Although she was feeling a lot better, it still hurt to walk normally on her foot, so she leaned heavily on Chat.

"Wait," Chat said, preventing her from sitting down once they reached a suitable spot. He unzipped one of the many pockets on his suit and produced a large fleece blanket. Watching him pull it out of his pocket was quite like watching a street magician with 'magic' scarves.

He laid the blanket on the snow, smoothing it out with great care. "What a gentleman," she commented, and he grinned toothily.

"I know, right?" He helped her sit down on the blanket, and promptly sat in the snow by the blanket. He stared at her expectantly.

"Weren't you going to cat nap?"

"I'm not really tired, now that I think about it," he said, which was an obvious lie. She could see fatigue pulling at his shoulders, and she could see the longing in his eyes as he stared at the soft fleece blanket.

"Don't be ridiculous," she said, pulling him onto the blanket. "I know you're lying. And I'll feel weird if I sleep and you just sit and watch."

"Fair enough."

They lay down, and the instant Marinette's head touched the fleece, her eyelids started to droop. It had been a long day. Falling, walking, resetting time, dying… It seemed like Marinette had done it all.

Her last thought before she fell asleep was that the blanket smelled faintly of jasmine.

Unlike all the other times she'd fallen asleep/died, Marinette didn't find herself in a place that was either pitch black or bright white with a blurry person in a red body suit nagging at her.

Instead, she was standing in front of a quaint two story building, jasmine creeping up the bricks near the entryway.

This place was familiar to her; she knew that the first story of the building served as a small family bakery, and that the second story was the family's house. The attic had been transformed into a bedroom, and the roof was a safe haven of well-treated plants, blankets, a lawn chair, and several sketch books.

"Well? Aren't you going to go inside?"

Marinette sighed. So much for a time of peace with no one nagging her. "No," she answered, turning around to face the blurry person in the red body suit.

"Why not?" they asked, stepping around Marinette and touching a finger to a jasmine flower. "It seems like such a nice place."

"It is."

"Then why not go inside?"

Marinette stared up at the small bakery, noting the delicious sweets on display in the windows. Cookies, macaroons, lemon cake. "I don't belong here anymore."

"Nonsense." The door to the bakery swung open. The inside was deserted, save for the sweets.

Almost against her will, Marinette took a step forward, her heart aching. And then she realized what she was doing and turned away, the lure of baked goods and a home still swirling around her. "I can't go back. I'm sure you know that."

Despite the fact that Chat had agreed to lay down, he didn't sleep a wink.

He frowned, noticing that Marinette had a troubled expression on her face. She curled up into a tight ball, her eyebrows furrowing.

Chat brushed the hair out of her face, wondering what could be troubling her in her dreams and whether she'd even bother telling him if he asked.

"So if you can't go back there," the person said, putting an arm around Marinette's shoulder and guiding her away from the bakery, "can you perhaps go back here?" The quaint street had dissolved into a far different neighborhood; one with wide cobbled streets, and mansions that had gates surrounding them.

Marinette's chest tightened, but in an entirely different way than before. "No," she said, her voice hard and cold. "Never."

"Why not?"

She looked upon the bright, immaculate mansion with an expression of utter hatred twisting her features. "I never belonged here, and I never will. And I will never, ever be sad about that fact."

The person nodded thoughtfully, and the street changed. On one side stood the immaculate mansion, on the other stood the small bakery. "Then where will you go?"

Her thoughts were muddled by past memories and the scent of jasmine, and Marinette found it hard to focus on what the person was saying. "I don't understand what you're trying to say."

"You say you don't belong there" – they pointed to the bakery – "and you say that you'll never belong there," they finished, pointing to the mansion. "You're so determined to get through the Underground, but what will you do once you escape? Where will you go?"

Marinette squeezed her eyes shut, trying to shut out her mind for a moment.

"I… I don't know."

Chat saw Marinette's eyelids flutter, and he quickly took his hands away from her hair, which he'd been playing with for the past hour. He had given up in trying to sleep, so he'd ended up sitting by her head, keeping his hands busy with her hair and fallen leaves.

"Hi," he said sheepishly as her eyes opened fully.

"Hey," she answered, her lips melting into a warm smile.

His heart skipped a beat. "Sleep well, little bug?"

She groaned, lifting her hands to her eyes. "As well as I could possibly manage."

"Bad dreams?" He wondered when she'd notice the leaves he'd braided into her hair.

"Something like that." She sat up, pushing her hair away from her neck, then froze. "Why is my hair down?"

"I thought you'd sleep better that way." Lies. He just got bored.

She combed her fingers through her hair, pulling out the small braids he'd given her and the leaves that went with them. Turning around, she raised her eyebrows at him.

"So I got bored," Chat said with a shrug, and she threw the leaves at him with a smile. "I always knew my true calling was being a hairdresser."

"Alright, if you're so proud of your hairdressing skills, how about you fix my hair for me?" In truth, she was just still too tired to even want to deal with her hair. "Of course, without the leaves."

"That's the best part," he complained, but he turned her around anyway and went to work combing his fingers through her hair. "What did you dream about?"

Marinette thought for a second, knowing she didn't want to tell him the truth, but wondering what ridiculous lie she should feed him. "I dreamt I was a hero in a far away land haunted by the living dead."

"Oh, really?" Something about his voice made her think he knew she was lying.

"Yes, really."

She continued the fictional tale of hunting zombies and saving kingdoms as he continued fixing her hair. When both of them were done, she almost believed that she had actually dreamed those things.

Lifting a hand to the back of her head, Marinette felt the two braids Chat had made on either side of her head, which were connected at the back of her head by a hair tie she'd used for her pigtails. She turned, giving Chat an upraising look. "You did well, kitty."

"Yeah, because I'm a hairdresser," he said, giving her a _'duh'_ sort of look. "Ready to keep going?"

"Not just yet," Marinette admitted, still kind of reeling from the actual dream she'd had.

She looked up at the canopy of leaves the trees provided, letting her thoughts wander. The blurry person was right. She didn't know why she wanted so badly to leave the Underground when she had nothing to return to above ground.

Chat, who knew that Marinette would be awhile, finally let himself rest, laying down on the blanket next to her, letting his head rest in her lap. He opened an eye to make sure it was okay, but, instead of seeing a raised eyebrow and playful disapproval, he saw slight surprise and a warm smile. He closed his eyes, trying not to let his lips quirk up in a grin to let her know how satisfied this made him.

Marinette rested a hesitant hand on Chat's head, letting her fingers run through his hair. Maybe she shouldn't worry so much as to what'll happen in the future, she decided, looking back up at the sky of the Underground.

Maybe right now, what happened in this moment was all that mattered.


	14. Chapter 13

Chat woke to the sound of soft and sweet singing. He couldn't make out the words, having just woken up, but he could feel the soothing aura that the singing gave out wrap around him. It was enough to almost make him fall asleep again.

He fought to stay awake, but there was something else he felt besides the singing. Hands were combing through his hair. The hands were cold, and they felt sort of rough, but the combing was smooth and full of care. His breathing slowed. He fell asleep again.

"Chat? What are you doing back at the house?" Nino asked, looking out from his room. "I thought you were escorting the human."

"I was," Chat said, only realizing he had admitted it too late. He looked up at Nino to see if he had noticed, but of course he had. "But I had to leave her," he continued before Nino could say anything.

"Why? Were you going to help me with my next puzzle?"

"Uh, no." He wondered if he should actually tell Nino why he had to leave. "I have to… _cat_ ch up on my naps. Escorting a human takes a lot of work, you know." No, he decided. He couldn't trouble Nino with this small disturbance. In fact, he was probably just blowing this out of proportions.

"You're so lazy," Nino said with a roll of his eyes. "When you wake up again, come to my room so we can work out another puzzle for the human, okay? Sleep well, lazy butt."

"Yeah, okay." Nino closed the door to his room, and Chat immediately grabbed the key to the back room, his mind running a mile a minute.

He hadn't felt a Blip for a while. But just now, when he was with Marinette, he felt the tiniest of Blips. He could just be blowing things out of proportion, but his instincts were never wrong.

As he opened up the back room, he flicked on the lights, his eyes traveling over all of the dusty machinery. He had prayed he'd never have to use it again. But here he was.

For background noise, he pressed play on the recorder, the sound of rustling papers and a sigh the start of the last report he had recorded.

"Chat Noir," said the tinny voice from the recorder, "reporting for hopefully the last time."

The past report droned on, and Chat pressed the button on the machine, wiping dust off the screen. It started up with a hiss.

"I don't think I've stopped him," said the Past-Chat, his tinny voice tired and worn. "He's just scared of me, I think. The next time he'll have an opportunity to twist everything around again, I have no doubt he will."

The machine beeped, and Chat stared, waiting for the result of the analysis to pop up. "Shit," he whispered, staring at the results. He had wanted so badly to be wrong. But he wasn't.

As if on cue, a dizzying sensation overwhelmed him, and he cursed again, panic overwhelming him. He couldn't go through this again. He couldn't play through this game of cat and mouse again.

Marinette ran her fingers through Chat's hair, her thoughts for once blissfully empty. She had thought that Chat had woken up twenty minutes ago, but when she had looked down at him again, he had been asleep.

His eyebrows furrowed, and his lips pursed. She combed the hair out of his face, looking down at him with concern. She wondered if he was having a bad dream. She wondered if he'd even bother to tell her if she asked.

Chat was back standing next to Marinette, confused and feeling out of place. He had just been at the lab. Why was he here?

"You…"

"What's wrong?" she asked, tilting her head at him innocently. Her eyes were red.

"I have to go," he said, and, after a few moments of deciding whether or not he actually should, Marinette forced him to go, her voice hard.

And so he went.

He had felt it in the air. In his gut. Whatever. It wasn't just a Blip. It was a Jump. He was panicking big-time, and he was well aware that everything he had done just now felt familiar. He had done this all before. He was sure of it.

When the results of the analysis came in, he cursed. He was right, like always: a Jump had occurred. He sat down, forcing himself to calm down. He needed to get those memories from the Jump back, even if they weren't important.

As he focused, he heard traces of Nino's voice, asking if he wanted to work on a puzzle. And just like that, the memories returned. A Blip had occurred, and he had left to investigate. That was it.

Since nothing important had happened, Chat went back to Nino and Marinette, acting as if nothing had happened.

And then Marinette died.

Chat stared, wondering if it could be true. He ran to her, cradling her in his arms. Tears rolled down his face, and he wished for her eyes to look at him and not at nothing at all. He wished she'd come back to life.

He rounded on the guilty akuma, rage making everything turn red. He raised his staff, and he brought it down without a second thought.

A body and a pile of dust were on either side of him, and Chat felt nothing and everything at once. For once, he wished a Jump would happen.

His wish came true.

Chat sat up with a gasp, his breathing heavy. He had been dreaming. Except it wasn't a dream. It was a series of memories that he'd forgotten.

He whipped around to Marinette, who was staring at him in surprise. "Chat?" Her eyes were alive and looking at him.

Letting out a relieved sigh, Chat rested his head on her shoulder. He knew that he'd have to deal with the Jumps and Blips he'd experienced. He knew he'd have to deal with the person who was causing them. But, _God,_ he was so glad she was alive.

Marinette hesitated before wrapping her arms around him. She had no idea what he had been dreaming about, but there was no doubt it had been bad. When he had woken up, there was this look of panic and… _knowing_ that made her quite unsettled.

But now he was resting her head on his shoulder, and, as she rubbed his back, she could feel him shaking. "I don't know what you dreamt about," she whispered into his hair, trying to keep her voice soft, "but I'm here. You're awake."

He felt his heart clench. Because there had been a time when she hadn't been 'here' and, even though he was awake, his dreams were very real and very terrifying.

"I dreamt you died," he said into her shoulder, and the soothing rubbing she had been doing stopped. He wondered if he had just unsettled her or if she actually had the capacity to somewhat remember Jumps.

"I'm alive," she answered after a moment, and she continued rubbing his back. "I'm alive."

He wondered why she didn't deny having died.

After a while of both of them calming down, Chat pulled away, and Marinette dropped her arms back to her sides. "Ready to go?" she asked, giving him a tentative smile. "We've already had a lot of rest, don't you think?"

"If bad dreams and hairdressing can be counted as rest, then yeah," Chat answered, and she snorted out a laugh, despite how un-funny everything felt.

They stood up, and Marinette helped Chat fold up the blanket. "It's a nice blanket. Smelled like jasmine," she said as Chat stuffed it into his suit pocket.

"Yeah, it's _purr_ fect for napping."

Marinette gave him a look. "You know, I'd been waiting for you to use that sort of pun. I'm surprised it took you so long."

"Well, as you know, in order for puns to work right, one has to use them at the most inopportune times." She shook her head, linking her arm with his as they continued walking.

The path led to a small cave entrance, and Marinette peeked her head inside. "Is it safe?" she asked, turning back to Chat.

"When have you ever worried about a path being safe?" he countered, raising an eyebrow.

"Admittedly, not once. But this is a cave."

"If you must know, my lady, it is extremely safe. In fact, I think that the door is even locked, so that would mean that anything inside-"

"Door?" she interrupted, stepping away from Chat and into the cave.

As soon as she stepped inside, she stopped, her breath catching in her throat. The place seemed absolutely magical. The ground was made of pitch-black sand, arctic blue grasses peaking out from the sand.

A deep purple door stood at the other side of the cave, and glowing blue mushrooms stood on either side of the door. Sparkles drifted through the air, and Marinette wondered just what it took to have them drift so casually and what they were made out of.

Chat was behind her, leaning against the cave wall casually. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

"Yes," she breathed, still staring all around her, "it is."

She recovered from her awe after a moment, and she walked forward, staring at the door. It didn't have a handle. She pushed at it, but it didn't budge.

"I told you, it's locked."

"I had to try anyway," she answered, pouting a little. She stared at the door for a moment longer before letting her gaze drift elsewhere. The glowing mushrooms were quite fascinating to her, and so she crouched down, examining one closely. "Why do they glow?"

Chat, who had been busy admiring her from his position by the cave entrance, blinked, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"Why do they glow?" she repeated, looking back at Chat, entirely serious.

"Why do you breathe?" he countered, and she shrugged. "I guess some stuff inside them tells them to glow, and so they do. They look beautiful, so I don't think they mind."

Marinette smiled a little, turning back to the mushroom. Something about the way he described the mushrooms as having a mind of their own made her feel all warm inside. She reached out and touched the tip of her finger to the mushroom, but as soon as she did so, the glow went away. "It stopped."

"They're shy."

"I guess that means we shouldn't bother them anymore," she said, standing up and turning away from the mushroom.

"You mean _you_ shouldn't bother them anymore. I did nothing to make them uncomfortable," Chat said, and Marinette rolled her eyes, walking over so that she was right next to him.

"Shut up. I just thought they were pretty."

"You can't just touch every pretty thing you see."

She stared up at him, wondering if he was really just talking about the mushrooms. The look on his face said he wasn't. "You can touch some pretty things." She wasn't talking about the mushrooms either.

"But sometimes it's dangerous."

A sparkling thing drifted through the air between them, and Marinette let out a small sigh, the sparkling thing drifting away on the wind of her breath. She looked away from Chat, back at the door and the black sand and the glowing mushrooms.

"Once we get through Snowdin Town, there'll be a whole other area like this," Chat said, clearing his throat. "It's just as beautiful."

Marinette stared at the serene cave for a moment longer, and then turned away, stepping back out of the cave. "Alright. But if you're lying to me, I seriously won't forgive you."

"I'm not lying," Chat promised, and they left the cave behind, the stark white of the snow almost burning their eyes. "In fact, I think it's even better than that shabby old cave," he said, linking their arms and leading her back up the path.

"Oh, really?"

"Yup. There are gemstones and crystals in the walls that sparkle like stars, and there are bright blue flowers that echo back anything you say. Doesn't that sound great?"

"Sounds magical," Marinette said, her mind drifting to thoughts of stars. "Have you ever seen stars?" she asked, and she stopped walking, stopping him along with her.

"I have," he said, raising an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Do you miss them?" She looked up at the sky of the Underground, and she wondered what it was like to never be able to see the real sky ever again. "Do you miss seeing the sky, Chat?"

"Sometimes," he admitted, and she looked back at him, a question already on her lips. "But," Chat said before she could ask, "I don't mind living in the Underground. You haven't met many akumas, I don't think, but there are some really good people here. I don't need to see a sky to be happy."

They continued walking. He wondered if she had let her question go. She hadn't.

"Do you ever want to leave?"

"Sometimes."

"Would you, if you got the chance?"

"Probably."

"Would you come back if you did leave?"

"Definitely."

Marinette thought about Chat's answers, wondering if she'd ever find a place she could return to. _But that doesn't matter right now,_ she convinced herself, pulling herself out of her thoughts, _there's no use worrying about things I won't find out until whatever happens happens._

"As your royal guide, princess," Chat said, pulling her to a stop in front of a pile of snow, "I think it's important to note this snow poff."

"And why is that?" she asked, examining the snow poff. It seemed like just a regular pile of snow.

"No reason, just figured we should note it," he responded with a shrug. A couple feet away, there was another snow poff. "And this," Chat said when they reached the poff, "is a snow poff."

"I hadn't noticed."

It continued.

Every single snow poff they passed, which was roughly five more, Chat felt the need to point it out.

"Behold! A snow poff."

"Chat, really?"

"Just trying to make things interesting."

Marinette rolled her eyes and was about to walk past the next snow poff without listening to whatever comment Chat had to make about it, but Chat stopped her. "Wait, hold up, little bug," Chat said, grabbing her arm and pulling her back to the snow poff. "There's something in this snow poff."

"Is it snow?" she asked in a deadpan, and Chat resisted the urge to laugh.

"Surprisingly, no. Well, yes, there _is_ snow-"

"What's in the poff?"

"Thirty gold." Marinette looked closely at the snow poff, and she recognized the glimmer of gold coins that were the Underground's currency.

"Do akumas really care that little about their money?" she asked, digging out the coins from the snow and taking out her Miraculous.

"Well, we care, a little bit, but we don't exactly care when we lose it. Akumas are pretty chill when it comes to this because no one's going to refuse them services because they don't have enough money."

She dropped the coins into the storage compartment, trying to wrap her mind around this generous culture. "I guess that makes sense."

"We're a pretty nice race," Chat bragged, and Marinette rolled her eyes.

Turning her attention away from the snow poff, she looked at the last one in the area. It twitched. "Did you see that?" Marinette asked, wondering if her eyes had been playing tricks on her.

"See what?" Chat asked, looking over at the snow poff.

"There's something in that snow poff."

"Is it snow?" Chat asked, mimicking her from earlier, and she slapped his shoulder, giving him a look.

"I'm being serious."

As if on cue, the snow poff twitched again. "Whoa, there _is_ something in-"

A dog's head popped out of the snow, panting excitedly at Marinette and Chat. "How cute!" Marinette gushed. Chat hissed.

She looked away from the dog, staring at Chat in surprise. The only cat-like things he had done so far had been moving his ears and being aloof and slightly annoying. But _hissing?_

"Did you just-"

Chat hissed again, his ears flattening against his head, and Marinette grinned. She would _totally_ tease him about this later.

When she turned back to the dog in the snow poff, the dog panted cutely at her, and she stepped forward, intending to pet it. Before she could take another step forward, the dog's final form emerged from the rest of the snow poff. It was wearing armor. It had a spear with the face of a dog. It was amazing.

Marinette's heart peeled away from her chest, and she almost cackled at the horrified expression on Chat's face. "What's there to be afraid of kitty cat? It's only a puppy."

"That's not any ordinary puppy," he said, lurking up next to her, his ears still flattened against his head, "that's a Greater Dog. The greatest dog."

"All dogs are the greatest dogs," she said, a warm smile pulling at her lips. "Step back, kitty, and try not to get your tail in a twist."

The Greater Dog barked happily at them.

"No, bug, I got this." He tried to step out in front of her, but she stopped him, raising an eyebrow at his hair, which looked like someone had rubbed a balloon all over it so that it was defying all sorts of gravity.

"You look like a scared cat."

"I am a scared cat!"

"Well, if you're scared, then stay back. I actually like dogs." He gave her a look that read something along the lines of _'how could you?'_ "In order to defeat the Greater Dog, we have to show it love and affection."

"Why can't you defeat me with love and affection?" Chat mumbled, though Marinette didn't seem to hear him as she stepped forward.

"Come here!" Marinette called to the dog, using her best puppy voice. The Greater Dog immediately bounded toward her, flecking slobber all over her face. It barked at her, and it's barks materialized in the air as white sound waves. Both Marinette and the heart avoided them with ease.

"It wants to kill you!" Chat shouted, obviously biased.

"It wants to be pet," Marinette called back, petting the Greater Dog softly on its snow-white fur. As she pet the Greater Dog, it seemed to calm down a bit more, but then it remembered that it was being pet and got really excited.

As it bounded away, its dog-spear almost hit Marinette and her heart (Chat screamed), but both of them managed to dive away in time.

The Greater Dog panted heavily, wagging its tail and staring expectantly at Marinette. "Fetch?" she asked, and as soon as the word left her mouth, the Greater Dog was bounding around again in excitement.

She scooped up a snowball and threw it in the general direction of the Greater Dog, but it splatted on the snow, leaving only a small mound of snow instead of a snowball. The Greater Dog seemed undeterred. It scooped up all the snow in the general area where the snowball had landed and bounded back to Marinette, snow in it's armored hands.

"It's going to throw it at you!" Chat warned, still very obviously biased.

Instead of throwing anything at Marinette, the Greater Dog just dropped the snow at her feet, creating a gigantic mound of snow. "Good boy!" Marinette said, scratching the Greater Dog's head and ignoring Chat.

"Do you even know how much danger you're putting yourself in?" Chat demanded as Marinette continued to pet the Greater Dog.

"Do you even know how ridiculous you're being?" she countered without looking back at him. She was still petting the Greater Dog with ultimate care. Chat felt a very large pang of cat-like (childish) jealousy. "Who's a good boy?" she crooned, and the Greater Dog gave her another sound wave barn in reply, which she avoided quite easily.

Chat sulked, creeping up behind Marinette. The Greater Dog stared at him, and he could practically hear the elevator music that was no doubt playing in its mind. He glared at it.

The glow of Marinette's heart pulsed, as if it was mocking him.

Chat glared at it, too.

"Bug," he grumbled, poking her softly on the shoulder. She ignored him, the entirety of her attention focused on the dog. "Bugaboo. Princess. Buginette." Every nickname was punctuated by a poke. She still ignored him. "Marinette," he groaned, drawing her name out and rubbing his head on her shoulder.

She finally looked at him, more than a little annoyed, but slightly amused. "Chat, I'm in the middle of something. I'll pay attention to you later."

He was about to demand that she pay attention to him _now,_ but then he noticed that the dog looked almost drunk with content. "Wait, stop," he told her, poking her again.

"Why, because you're jealous?" she asked, still petting the Greater Dog.

"Yes – wait, no" – she gave him a look – "just stop petting it." She didn't stop, still looking at him with that knowing and slightly condescending look. "Don't you see? It's already super happy," he said, gesturing to the dog and ignoring the look.

Marinette looked away from Chat to look at the air above the Greater Dog, where its name was floating. Sure enough, the letters were yellow. "I suppose," she admitter, retracting her hand from the Greater Dog.

Immediately, the Greater Dog jumped out of its armor to lick Marinette's face. She laughed. Chat hissed.

When it was finished, it jumped back into its armor and bounded away, and Marinette stared after it, still smiling. Chat, on the other hand, was still scowling.

"That was pleasant," Marinette said with a content sigh.

Almost involuntarily, Chat growled.

"Are you still pouting?" she asked, giving him an amused look.

"No," Chat pouted. She raised an eyebrow. "Yes," he corrected.

"Come here, you dumb cat," she said, holding her arms out to him.

He didn't run to her. No, he walked over to her in a very dignified way. And then he buried his face in the crook of her neck. Very dignified.

She ran her fingers through his hair, playing with the tips of his ears. "You know, I like both dogs _and_ cats."

"But cats more, right?" he asked, his words muffled, and she could feel each word puff onto her neck.

"Depends on the cat."

"But you like me more, right?"

She pushed him away to look at his face, holding him at arms' length. He was grinning at her. "You're ridiculous."

"I'll take that as a yes."

Rolling her eyes, Marinette let go of him, turning to the rest of the path. "So, now that you're all recovered from your fit of jealousy, what's ahead?"

"A trap," Chat said casually, taking her arm and leading her forward.

"Betraying me already?"

"Of course not. It's a puzzle that Nino made." She looked at him, waiting for Chat to realize what a trap made by Nino meant. "Oh, yeah! I should go ahead of you."

"Yeah, you do that."

" _Cat_ ch you later, bug!" And with that, he sprinted away, quickly going out of sight.

Marinette walked on, the silence somewhat comforting. She hadn't really had a moment to herself, not even in her dreams, and when she had, she had always been troubled by something.

Ahead of her, there was an ominous looking rickety wooden bridge. She didn't take much note of it as she continued walking, her fingers trailing on the rope railing.

 _True,_ she thought, _I'll always be troubled by a lot of things, but right now… I'm pretty content._

"Human!" shouted Nino's voice, and Marinette snapped out of her thoughts. She was still in the middle of bridge, and Nino and Chat stood on the solid ground at the end of the bridge. "You have finally arrived, I see," he said, giving a sideways glare at Chat.

"Hello, again," Marinette greeted, less than afraid. "How are you doing?"

"Very well, thank you. But I'm afraid you won't be doing well after you experience this final and most dangerous challenge." He actually looked a bit sad about that fact.

"Really? That's unfortunate." Chat suppressed a snort of laughter.

"Indeed," Nino said, nodding his head. He sighed, and then puffed up his chest, putting on his impression of grandeur once more. "Behold! The Gauntlet of Deadly Terror!" Marinette was expecting a glove of some sort, but instead, around the bridge appeared a bludgeon, several spears, a cannon, and… a dog. The dog panted happily at her.

"Um, is that-"

"When I say the word," Nino interrupted, "it will fully activate. The cannon will fire, the spears will swing, blades will slice, etcetera. You'll have to go through all of that, and you'll have a very small chance of victory." He didn't mention the dog. Marinette was very worried about the dog. "Are you ready?"

"No particularly."

"Oh, well! Because I am about to do it!" he exclaimed, accenting every single word.

Nothing happened.

Marinette looked at Chat. Chat looked at Nino. A bead of sweat rolled down Nino's face.

"Um, what's the hold up?" Chat asked after several seconds of silence.

"Hold up? What hold up?" Nino demanded, looking more than a little frazzled. "I'm about to activate it now!"

Still, nothing happened.

"That, uh, doesn't look very activated."

"It really doesn't," Marinette chimed in, sort of feeling embarrassed for Nino.

"Well, this challenge… it seemed like it's too easy to defeat the human with." He paused, collecting his thoughts. "I am a bubbler with standards, after all."

Marinette looked over at Chat, mouthing _'bubbler?'_ Chat shook his head, mouthing _'later.'_

"My puzzles are fair, and my traps are expertly cooked," Nino continued. "But this method is too direct. No class at all, honestly. I'm not sure what I was thinking. Away it goes."

All of the dangerous objects (including the dog), retracted back to wherever they came from, Nino sighed in relief. Marinette giggled a little.

"What are you laughing at? This was another victory for me!"

"Definitely," Marinette said with a nod as Nino stomped away, cackling somewhat confusedly.

She walked the rest of the way over the bridge so that she was standing next to Chat. "Well, that was something else."

"Yeah, it was really nice of him to realize your true puzzle solving potential." He was entirely serious. Marinette smiled.

"It really was."

"Well, anyway, I'm not exactly sure what he plans to do next, but I think it'd be best if you remember blue attacks."

"Blue attacks?" Marinette asked as they continued walking.

"Yeah, blue attacks. You know, the ones-"

"I know what blue attacks are," she interrupted, giving him a look. "But I'm just… Well, does that mean I'll have to fight him?"

Chat gave her a look that said he was thinking about how amazing she was. "I'm sure I've told you this before, but Nino is a good guy. Even if you guys end up having to fight, it'll be alright. I trust both of you." Marinette looked at him thoughtfully, and he leaned down, head-butting her softly.

She snorted out a laugh, leaning back a little. "What are you, a literal cat?"

"Exactly that, bug," he said, head-butting her again. "You looked like you were thinking too much. It's a cat's job to distract you from everything."

Pushing his face away, Marinette ruffled his hair. "Come on, you just want attention."

"True."

"You're ridiculous."

"Also true."

They continued walking, and Chat stopped them when they were standing in front of a quaint looking town, a large sign with Christmas lights draped over it announcing the town's name. "I almost thought we'd never get here," Marinette said, thinking about how long ago it seemed when they had read the sign directing them to go to this very place.

"Well, despite everything" – he gave her a look that made her just a tad bit unsettled – "we're finally here. Welcome to Snowdin, bugaboo."


	15. Chapter 14

"It's so… quaint," Marinette said, not knowing any other word to describe it. _Home-y? But not exactly. More like… comfortable._

"Snowdin's known for that, you know. It's a wonderful ice lodging place for akumas looking for a quiet place," Chat said, nodding his head with a strange sort of satisfaction.

"You sound like a tour guide."

"Sweetheart, I _am_ a tour guide." Sure, Marinette was quite used to endearments. Being near Chat had made it easier for her to accept. But _sweetheart?_ That just felt so domestic. "Bug, you're face is as red as your sweater."

"Shut up. You're dumb." She promptly turned away from him, fuming. Chat leaned toward her, grinning. "Get away from me."

"Looks like I know exactly what to call you from now on, _sweetheart."_ She pushed his face away from hers, her cheeks burning.

"You do and I kill you."

"How about sweetie?"

"No."

"Cutie-pie?"

"No."

"Sugar?"

"No."

"Muffin?"

Marinette's face had reached a wonderful shade of fire-truck red. "Chat, if you don't shut your mouth right now, I will not hesitate to punch you in the face." He opened his mouth. She raised her fist. He closed his mouth. "Good," she said, relaxing and rubbing her cold hands on her face to cool herself down. "Now then, I'm sure you have to meet up with Nino and plan what you're going to do about me, so I'll leave you to that."

"You mean you're embarrassed."

"I said nothing of the sort."

"It's what you meant."

Well, he wasn't wrong. But that didn't stop her from glaring daggers at him. "You said you weren't sure what Nino was planning to do next. No doubt he'll make his move soon, so you can either talk him out of it, or urge him on."

"I won't-"

"I don't care either way," she said with a shrug. He seemed about to protest, but she stopped him before she could. "You trust both of us, remember? Neither of us will get hurt that much, so it doesn't matter whether he wants to fight me or not. Besides, we both know I'm human and won't be able to avoid the… whatever controls security hear for long."

"The Royal Guard," Chat informed, his lips pursed and his eyebrows furrowed. "But I won't urge him on. I'll… I'll find out what he's going to do so I can tell you." He turned around, ready to bound off to Nino, but he stopped, turning back around and gripping her shoulders. "I don't think anyone in Snowdin will try and fight you, but if you do end up in a fight, stay safe."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I've been in fights before, Chat. I can take care of myself."

A pained look flashed across his face, and Marinette felt her heart thump, reminding her that she wasn't dead. But the look was gone as soon as it came, and her heartbeat felt normal again.

"I know, but I figured I'd remind you to not get it trouble."

"I'm not a kid."

"Yeah, but you've got a kid's curiosity." He patted the top of her head, and she glared at him.

"Fight me."

"Maybe next time, sweetheart." And with that, he bounded away, leaving Marinette to be a blushing mess in peace.

 _He couldn't just leave it at bug, could he? No, he just_ had _to call me sweetheart. What the heck? That's so southern belle sounding. What is he? A southern belle?_

An image of Chat wearing a pastel pink bow in his hair and a floofy yellow dress flashed through her mind. She tried to forget that.

Ahead of her, there were two small wooden lodges, one labeled 'Shop' and the other 'Inn.' In front of the two lodges, a sparkling save point winked at her from beside a box. Before she went into the lodges, she figured it'd be best to save, since she hadn't done so in a while.

She tapped the save point lightly with the toe of her boot, and the world turned black and white around her, snowflakes suspended in the air.

 _ **The sigh of such a friendly town fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Without giving it much thought, she pressed the 'yes' button, and a snowflake landed on her nose as everything unfroze and filled with color. Or at least – as unfrozen and filled with color as a winter wonderland could get.

Turning to the box, Marinette was about to open it, her hand centimeters away from the latch, when she stopped, her breath catching in her throat. It was one of those magical boxes, based on the design that was identical to the one she had seen so long ago. The one she'd put Tikki's pie in.

Thoughts of Tikki had been practically erased from Marinette's mind, given the fact that she herself had died and been fairly traumatized by that. It kind of overwhelmed accidentally killing someone. Not by much, but still.

And there was also Chat and Nino, who were excellent at entertainment and guiding her away from thinking of difficult things (well…). They had made even dying sort of slip to the back of her mind, and it was so much easier to pretend that death hadn't been at all a part of her life.

But it had, and it hurt.

She remembered what she had thought when she had first placed the pie in the box: _I'll eat it when I feel comfortable eating something made by someone I murdered._ It seemed she still wasn't comfortable, and she doubted she ever would be.

She turned away from the box.

The shop was directly in front of her, so she decided to go inside there first. When she walked in, warmth flooded through her bones, and, although the yellow-orange-ish lighting could have made the place seem weird, it did the exact opposite, making the small shop seem warm and cozy.

A cute girl stood behind the counter, her sky-blue eyes making Marinette feel all warm and fuzzy inside. She was dressed in a stylish black and pink turtleneck, which may not have seemed stylish at all, but the girl somehow made it work. Her skin was also green, which was also weird, but, again, the girl made it work.

"Hey, traveler, how can I help you?" the girl asked, perking up when she noticed Marinette standing by the door. "I'm Rose. Is there anything in particular you're looking for?"

Even her voice was cute.

"I-I'm not really sure. I'm just browsing." She wasn't sure why, but Rose's eyes, which were trained solely on Marinette, made her stutter a bit.

"Take your time then," Rose said, giving Marinette a small smile. "Let me know if you need anything."

Marinette nodded, turning away from Rose to look around at the shelves of knick-knacks and other useful items. On a shelf labeled 'Armor and Weaponry,' there was a leather glove with spikes on the knuckles, which she ignored, and a rather strange looking bandana that looked like it had abs drawn on it.

She picked up the bandana, examining the tag pinned to the end of it. _'Manly Bandana. Increases defense. It has abs on it.'_ Even though it sounded ridiculous, she held onto it as she continued browsing the shop.

On the other wall, there was a small cooler that had a bunch of popsicles in it labeled _bicicles.'_ The sign above the cooler said you could eat it twice, and Marinette thought of how many fights she could potentially get in, and decided it would be best if she got at least a couple of those.

Next to the cooler, there was a small counter with about ten mouth-watering cinnamon buns drizzled with icing sitting innocently on a silver tray. Marinette stared. She picked up a napkin from beside the tray and picked up a cinnamon bun, shifting the bicicles and manly bandana to the other arm as she did so. The cinnamon bun was roughly the size of her hand and smell like it could stop wars.

Satisfied with her haul, Marinette walked up to the counter, where Rose was standing. Now that she was closer, she noticed that Rose had pink streaks in her blonde hair, and she had elaborate black eyeliner on, which shouldn't have looked as good as it did, but, like everything else Rose wearing, she made it work.

"Is this all?" she asked, and Marinette's eyes drifted toward a shelf behind Rose, where a bunch of small kick-knacks rested. Amid all of the dusty objects was a polished brass bell, which looked as if it could clip onto anything.

"Is that bell for sale?" Marinette asked, pointing to the bell.

"Of course! Everything in the shop is for sell, excluding me, you know," she joked, and Marinette laughed along, her cheeks turning red.

 _Bummer._

 _What?_

"I'll take that also, then."

Rose glanced at all the items Marinette had brought to the counter, obviously doing some math in her head. "One hundred and thirty-two gold, please," she said, and Marinette blanched, wondering if she had that much. She hadn't really been paying attention to what she was getting.

She took out her Miraculous, opening up the storage compartment and scooping out coins. Rose counted them as she placed them on the counter, and Marinette was extremely glad that she had enough gold to pay for everything. She even had a hundred or so left.

"Anything else I can help you with?" Rose asked after Marinette was done apologizing for taking too long counting out the money. "You're new here, so I can tell you a bit about the town, if you'd like."

"How'd you know I was new?" Marinette asked, taking a step back and wondering if Rose's cuteness was just a rouse. Rose laughed at Marinette expression, the light sound making Marinette relax a little.

"Snowdin's a small town. I've seen every akuma's face that lives here at least five times within the past week." She leaned forward, examining Marinette, making her blush a little. "Where'd you come from? The capitol? You don't exactly look like a tourist."

"I… I'm just passing through, really," Marinette answered with a shrug, placing all of her purchases carefully in her Miraculous.

"Are you 'just passing through' alone?"

"Sort of? I have someone who's guiding me through the different areas and stuff, but that's about it." Rose leaned against the counter, raising her eyebrows at Marinette, her lips quirking up in a knowing smile. "What?"

"Nothing, nothing. It's just that akumas a super nice, but our kindness doesn't stretch so far as guiding people places. You know?"

"…What?" Rose shrugged in response, and Marinette felt her cheeks get even hotter, suddenly realizing what Rose could be implying about Chat, despite the fact that Rose knew nothing about who was 'guiding' her. "Oh."

"You've got yourself one very special _friend,_ if you catch the drift."

"It's not like that."

"Uh, huh, sure."

Marinette cleared her throat, desperate to get over the embarrassing topic. "So, uh, what can you do here in Snowdin? Someone told me it was good place for quiet, but he didn't tell me much else."

Rose thought for a moment, and Marinette stared, wondering how anyone could look so cute at any given moment in time. "Well, there's Grillby's, which has some really good food, and the library has got all sorts of information. The inn next door – that's run by my best friend – is a really nice place to rest. And if you ever get bored, then you can just sit outside and watch those two friends – the bubbler and the cat – do whatever."

"You mean… Chat and Nino?"

"Yeah! Them," Rose answered, snapping her fingers and grinning at Marinette. "They're quite strange, don't you know? They just kind of showed up one day, out of the blue. Since then, Snowdin's been pretty interesting. I take it you know them?"

"I know the basics," Marinette said with a shrug. "Like, I know they're pretty silly and funny, but I don't know much about their past."

"No one does, really," Rose said with a nod. "They sort of keep to themselves, you know?" She sighed, shrugging and giving Marinette a small smile. "But it's none of my business anyway. And I've got the feeling that I wouldn't want to know where they come from or what their true purpose is."

Marinette raised her eyebrows, forgetting her nerves and leaning against the counter. "And why is that?"

"Well, they're nice akumas and all, but there's just something about Chat Noir that feels a bit off. He just kind of gives off that aura, you know?"

She figured she didn't know enough about akuma auras to figure out when someone was 'off,' but she nodded anyway. She knew Chat was hiding a lot from her, but she never pressed too hard because she was exactly like him.

"But whoever they really are, we're kind of stuck with them, what with the barrier and all." She had seemed so cheerful throughout their whole conversation, but now Rose seemed a little sad.

"What is it like?" Marinette found herself asking. She only realized it might've been a weird question when Rose gave her a strange look. "I mean, for you. I know for me, it's hard not to see the sky everyday. To not feel fresh air," Marinette corrected, clearing her throat.

"It's not too bad, I suppose," Rose admitted, tracing a finger on the counter. "I live a happy life with my friends and my lover, but it would be nice to go up to the surface again. It's just been so long, I've sort of forgotten what it's like to see the sky and breathe fresh air, so I don't miss much."

Both of them looked up at the ceiling of the shop, imagining what it would be like to be on the surface once more. Marinette figured her heart hurt more than Rose's did in that single moment.

"We just have to keep living down here and wait for the king to come up with a solution," she said, giving Marinette's shoulder a squeeze. "Until then, we have to keep our hopes up."

"I guess you're right," Marinette said, not feeling as if she'd be able to sit back and wait at all.

After Marinette said goodbye to Rose, she stepped out into the snow, leaving the warm and cozy shop behind. Instead of going to the inn (where Rose's friend worked), Marinette walked past it, figuring she'd go in when she felt tired.

Right beside the inn was a small igloo with a very dark interior. Despite the fact that she'd gotten mad at Chat for accusing her for having a kid's curiosity, she knew it was true when she squatted down and stuck her head in the igloo.

And was promptly sucked inside.

As her stomach churned, Marinette figured this is what she got for being stupid. _What was the saying? Curiosity killed the cat?_

It was pitch black, and she couldn't see or feel anything, and she felt a bit like she was on the roller coaster of death, but she wasn't at all scared. Maybe because she had reached a state of acceptance?

She was vomited rather ungracefully out of the igloo into the snow, and as she sat up and wiped the snow off her face, she realized she wasn't dead.

On one side of the igloo, there was a small shed, and on the other was a small wooden cabin with Christmas lights on the entryway. In the direction of the cabin, Marinette could see other buildings and, if she squinted, the inn and shop.

"Convenient," she muttered, standing up and brushing her hair out of her face. Looking behind her, in the direction of the shed, there were no buildings or anything, so she could only assume she had reached the town limits.

She didn't want to leave Snowdin just yet, so she walked towards all the buildings. Beside the cabin, there were two mailboxes, one overflowing with mail and the other quite empty. The empty one was labeled 'Nino.'

Next to the mailboxes was a long brick building. The sign above it said 'Lirbrarby.' Marinette snorted out a laugh, walking inside to see a regular sort of library with a few akumas inside.

The akuma behind the counter looked all too bored to be there, and when he saw Marinette he sighed loudly. "Hello, welcome to the library. And yes, we know the sign in misspelled."

"Oh, um, okay," she said, even though she had no intention of mentioning the misspelled sign. What she did have an intention of doing, however, was read up on akumas. "Can you direct me to the history section?"

"Here for a school project, eh?"

"Um, no-"

"That way," he interrupted, pointing to the farthest shelf of books. The corner was shrouded in shadows, and the light from a nearby window only hit some of it. Dust motes floated through the very little light in the corner.

"Thanks," Marinette said, taking a deep breath and going off in the direction of the shady corner.

When she got there, it was clear that no one had been back there to clean up in a while. Old books were on the floor in stacks, the shelves were covered in dust, and any time she touched something, a puff of dust was sure to go up in the air.

A thick book sat horizontally on one shelf, looking old and worn, but probably not because people read it often, but because it was legitimately an old book. It was the best place to start.

Growing up, Marinette had always heard bedtime stories of the 'scary' akumas that would creep around in the dark. And that's all they were to her. Stories.

But now, she was in a place filled to the brim with akumas, and none of them acted like the ones in the stories. They were kind and a little strange, but never mean and cruel. She wanted to know more about akumas, and if she was going to spend a while here, then she might as well learn as much about them as possible.

In the book, there was a table of contents with three main parts: Origin, Souls, and Magic. She flipped to the first part, intrigued. She had always thought akumas were just kind of _there._ No specific origin, or anything. But apparently she was wrong.

 _ **Part One: Origin of Akumas**_

 _ **The origin of akumas goes back to almost the origin of humans, though our origin is less mysterious with a lot less controversy. We are the product of humans and magic mixing to a dangerous level. Humans long ago were known to harness magic, but only for show tricks and amusement because when too magic is used, bad things tend to happen. [See: Salem Witch Trials, pg 57] However, magic can also be a good force, which is shown in the development of akuma-kind.**_

 _ **•**_ _ **How Akumas Are Created**_

 _ **Akumas are simply humans with magic fused to them on a molecular level. Magic exists in hotspots on the surface, and, since magic is an emotionally controlled force, humans who wander too close to powerful hotspots while in an emotional state are transformed into akumas.**_

There was a whole lot more dealing with the science of the transformation, but Marinette figured that she had gotten the gist of how akumas were created. And it's not like she understood the complicated science terms, so she decided to skip to the next sub-section that seemed interesting.

 _ **• Prejudice Against Akumas**_

 _ **Because of the sudden bonding of magic to akuma's cells and the sudden change of hormones created, newly transformed akumas were susceptible to intense moods, normally having to do with the moods they were in when first transformed, which was most likely anger. Added to the confusion of transforming, akumas became a terrifying force against humans, letting out their anger and confusion on everyone else. The humans developed a calming technique when they discovered the root of the problem, which lessened akuma's moods to that of their human self. However, some humans were still scared of akumas, thinking that the calming procedure would wear off. We were forced into designated areas where we could not interact with any human except for special akuma-specialized human doctors.**_

 _ **• War Against Humans**_

 _ **Most akumas did not agree with how the humans treated us, which is only fair considering the designated areas were more the equivalent to a concentration camp than a neighborhood. The akumas revolted, only asking for better living conditions, but the humans took this as a sign of violence rather than protest and declared war on all of akuma-kind. Due to the humans' superior strength, the akumas were forced into the Underground. Four humans harnessed the force of magic to a safe extent to create a barrier, blocking akumas from ever leaving. They did leave a small opening at the top of a mountain [See: The Superstition Surrounding Mt. Ebott] in the event that another akuma were to appear so that human kind would be safe forever.**_

Marinette sat back, in shock. She shouldn't have been so surprised, given she should know _exactly_ how cruel humans can be, but she would've never thought that the entire human race could just erase the akumas' story to just a simple tale to tell your kids so that they'd behave.

And, judging from an akuma's origin and the last sentence she'd read, there are still akumas that are created. What happens to them? Does the world ignore them? Shut them away in science labs? Throw them down the very mountain she had fallen through?

A beeping noise from her yo-yo pulled Marinette thoughts away from the book.

Setting the book aside, Marinette pulled the yo-yo out of her pocket, wondering why it would be beeping when she wasn't even in a fight. As she saw the phone icon glowing from the center spot on the yo-yo, she remembered it's other purpose – a phone.

"Hello?" she asked once she'd answered the call. "Who's this?"

"It's me, bug," said Chat's voice from the other end, his words an over-exaggerated drawl.

"How'd you get my number?"

"I put it in when you were resting."

"Creepy."

"More like convenient," he corrected, and she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I'm done talking with Nino. Have you had fun wondering around by yourself and probably getting into trouble?"

"I've only almost died once. So, yeah, I've stayed out of trouble." She stood up, and after a moment's hesitation, took the akuma history book with her.

"Now I _have_ to meet up with you to make sure you're okay," Chat said, making it sound like there was no other option. "You close to Grillby's?"

"I'm sure I'll find my way." And with that, she hung up.

At the front counter, Marinette placed the book by the sleeping akuma's head. "I'd like to check out this book please." The akuma didn't answer. "Sir?" She nudged him softly.

His eyes creaked open, immediately glaring at her. "What?"

"I'd like to check out this book please," she repeated, and the akuma's eyes slid over to the history book.

"Kid, just take it. No one around here reads that book anyway. We all know what's in it."

"Oh, um, okay, thank you." She took the book off the counter and opened up her yo-yo to the storage compartment, carefully placing it amongst the food and coins and other things inside it. "Have a nice day."

The akuma grumbled something about wishing her luck on her history project, and she stepped out of the library, sucking in a breath as the cold overwhelmed her. And then she set off to find Grillby's.


	16. Chapter 15

Grillby's, it turned out was right next to the library, so Marinette didn't have to walk very far. Chat was sitting in the snow outside, talking with a couple of akumas nearby.

He hadn't noticed Marinette yet, so she took the opportunity to stare. She didn't really get the chance to look closely at everything Chat Noir because he was always being unbearable, and half the time she was embarrassed or looking at other interesting things, but now he was looking at something that wasn't her and he seemed in a relatively jovial mood.

It was sort of strange how everyone seemed to have flocked toward him, like he had some sort of gravitational pull. They all seemed to be clambering for his attention, and he didn't seem to mind one bit.

A little girl in a teal and black polka-dotted sweater and a pair of overalls was sitting right at Chat's feet, playing with puppets and explaining to him who the puppets were and what their magic was. He seemed to be paying attention very closely.

Marinette realized she was being weird and immediately snapped out of her trance, starting to walk toward him.

As soon as she took the first step, one of Chat's ears twitched and he seemed to perk up, even though she didn't think she had made much noise. A smile graced his lips even before he turned to look at her, and when he was fully facing her, she saw that it wasn't the dumb grin he pulled when he was annoying her; it was goofy and real and sort of endearing. (Though she'd never admit that to him. Ever.)

"Buginette!"

Immediately, all the akuma's turned to face her. Marinette's palms started to sweat. For some reason, she felt extremely pressured.

"O-oh, hey…"

For a moment, they all stood in a heavy silence (or so it seemed to Marinette), none of them saying anything. And then a rather large bear akuma grinned, or it's lips twisted into a shape similar to a grin considering it had a bear face.

"Is this a new friend?" it asked, and all the akumas looked at Chat once more, raising their eyebrows.

"Yep," Chat replied, nowhere near as flustered as Marinette had been with all their stares. "Stumbled into her near the Ruins and have been guiding her ever since. Everyone, meet Marinette."

"What were ya doin' by the Ruins?" piped a small akuma wearing a large scarf. "Ya should know there's nothin' 'round there."

"I was, uh, I don't know," Marinette replied clumsily, not knowing how to not let out that she was a human who fell into the Underground through the opening in the Ruins.

The akuma, however, nodded gravely, seeming to understand. "Short term memory. Happens to th' better of us."

"Um, right." Chat giggled. Marinette scowled at him.

"You're a kid, too, right?" asked the little girl with the puppets. "I can tell because you're wearing polka-dots."

The girl bothered Marinette a lot. Not because she was annoying in any particular way, but because of what she had just learned about akumas. Something had caused this girl to get so emotional she turned into a monster. And when that wasn't enough, she was discriminated against and forced underground. As a kid.

Something must've showed in Marinette's face because Chat's smile dimmed. "Alright, everyone, let's not overwhelm her," he chided, standing up and brushing the snow off his suit. "It was nice conversing with you guys, but I'm afraid I've got to go."

Most of the akumas said their goodbyes to both Marinette and Chat, but the little girl lingered, staring at Marinette with wide eyes.

"Manon," Chat said gently, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. She looked away from Marinette and focused on Chat. "Don't you think it's time for you to go back home? Your mother must be very worried."

She blinked, and then gasped. "You're right!" She turned back to Marinette, pointing one of her puppets at her. "Come back later to play with me, okay?" she asked, running off before Marinette could give a proper answer.

As soon as she was gone, Chat turned to Marinette a concerned look on his face. "Spill. What's got you all worried?"

"Nothing, nothing," she said in a feeble attempt to change the subject. "Anyway, where-"

"Marinette."

He gave her that look, the one that said he wasn't going to take her shit, and she fumed on the inside, wondering how he could just get anything out of her if he truly felt like it. "I just came back from the library, okay?"

"And?"

"And I read up on some of the history of akumas." She was looking at him in a sort of angry defiance, like every word pushed out of her mouth was forced to do so. She wasn't very good at opening up about anything.

Chat sighed heavily, taking her hand sort of absently, like he didn't really mean to. "Oh, Marinette…" He wondered how in the world he could've met someone with such a good heart. "Are you upset because of what happened so long ago?"

"How could I _not_ be upset?" she demanded, gesturing wildly and barely noticing Chat was still holding her hand. "Humans are just so _cruel_ and they'll lock up anybody, even _kids,_ for things they can't control!"

He got the sense she was talking about more than just akuma cruelty.

Angry tears pricked at her eyes, and she roughly wiped them away with her sweater. "Sweetheart…" It was the first time he'd used a dumb nickname with such emotion, and it almost made her want to cry harder.

"Shut up."

He did.

He let go of her hand and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close so that her face was pressed against his chest. She wasn't crying anymore, but she so desperately needed someone to just hold her for a bit, and Chat was the best person for that.

After her slight breakdown was over, she felt extremely embarrassed. She pushed him away, her face burning red. "Chat, I'm sorry-"

"Don't even try and apologize," he interrupted, and when she looked up, he found he was almost comically serious. "It's okay to cry. And I'm always there for you."

For a moment, she stared at him, not knowing at all what to say.

"W-where to next?" she stuttered, looking away from him and silently cursing herself for stuttering.

He didn't sigh; after all, he had grown quite used to her avoiding topics that got too emotional. "Well, considering I just met up with Nino and now know what he plans to do next, I can give you some advice on what you should do and you can either take that advice or literally do anything else."

"Sounds fair," Marinette admitted, still somewhat embarrassed from earlier. She did, however, appreciate the fact that Chat was willing to let it go.

"Okay, so Nino said that he's stopping with all the puzzles and games – stop with that relieved look I'm not done yet – and he wants to have a full out duel. You know, so he can prove his worth, join the Royal Guard, etcetera."

"So what do you propose I do, oh so intelligent one?"

He puffed up, seemingly very pleased with his new nickname. "I think you should fight him first, then come back to Snowdin town to do the rest of your exploring."

Marinette squinted at him. "And why should I do that?"

"Snowdin is the coziest place in the Underground, and I'm not lying at all when I say that. Waterfall is beautiful, but it's hardly a place to relax, and Hotland is just plain miserable. After your fight, I'm thinking that you can rest here at the local inn and then we can grab a bite to eat. That way you'll be fine for at least some of your journey."

"That…" She blinked. "That actually makes a lot of sense."

"You say that as if you thought my plan would be stupid."

"Of course I thought your plan would be stupid. May I remind you that you once led me off a cliff just so I would land on top of you?"

"Okay, first of all, that wasn't even a cliff. I knew you wouldn't get hurt. And second of all, you're making me sound desperate."

She crossed her arms, leaning in and raising her eyebrows. "Isn't that what you are?"

He raised a finger, as if to counter, but stopped, blinking at her three times before recovering himself. "Now that is just unfair-"

"Whatever, cat," she said with a roll of her eyes as she turned away from him. "Now. Shouldn't I go and fight your best friend?"

"Now that's taking it a bit too far," he said jokingly, linking their arms and setting off.

"I believe it's taking it to a very reasonable level," Marinette replied, her eyes drifting over the quaint buildings they passed on their way out of town. "After all, he's going to try and kill me. Or at least, injure me to the point of being able to take me hostage."

"Don't joke about that," Chat said, his voice turning rather serious.

Sighing, Marinette stopped walking, pulling Chat to stop also. "You know I'm not being serious. And just because I'm joking about this doesn't mean I'm not taking the situation seriously."

"I know that, but joking about being injured and dying…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "Just… Please don't do that from now on?"

Marinette eyed him somewhat suspiciously. Why was he so intent on this? And then she sighed, figuring it couldn't hurt to stop the death and despair jokes. "Okay, but I can't promise much. My entire sense of humor revolves around self-deprecating off hand statements."

Chat sighed, starting to walk again and pulling her with him. "Self-deprecating I can handle. It's the perfect opportunity for me to tell you how amazing you are."

"Flirt," she muttered, although her cheeks were blazing red.

They stopped at the small wooden cabin that Marinette had seen on her tour through the town alone. The Christmas lights twinkled at her, and she noticed that Chat's eyes seemed to be the same color of green as some of the lights.

"He'll be waiting for you in the next area, alright? After you're done, you come straight back here to tell me you're okay. If it takes too long, I'll go and find you. And then you'll rest and then we'll eat."

"You sound like a mom," she noted, and he gently swatted her arm. "Yeah, yeah, I know. This is serious business. But can you just trust me a little? And Nino? Can't you trust him, too?"

For a moment, Chat just stared at her, and then he wrapped her in a hug, sighing loudly. "Of course I trust you and Nino, bug. That's why I'm letting you go alone. I just don't want to see you hurt again." After a second, Marinette hugged back.

And then she shoved him away playfully. "Alright, _mom._ I'll come back before curfew."

She turned away before she could see the genuine smile that spread across her lips.

She walked to the next area without looking back, although she could feel Chat's eyes on her back with every step she took.

The moment she knew she was walking into a legitimate boss fight was when the snow intensified tenfold, reaching blizzard standards. A shadow appeared through the haze of the snow, and Marinette fought to stay standing against the buffeting wind, squinting to try and see the shadow better.

"Human." Nino's voice. "Let me be honest with you. I really like the fact that I've found another pasta lover. And someone who appreciates puzzles. You seem like the type of person I can truly be…" He trailed off, his voice becoming unsure. "No. No, this isn't right. You're human. I can't be your friend."

Marinette figured she might as well try and diffuse the fight before it started. "Just because I'm human doesn't mean-"

"I'm sorry, but I have to capture you." He sounded genuinely sorry. "It's the only way I can be a part of the Royal Guard. It's the only way for things to be set right again."

As if on cue, the blizzard cleared, revealing Nino in a perfect battle stance, holding a staff that looked suspiciously like a bubble wand. Marinette's heart peeled away from her chest.

Her Miraculous beeped, and she swiftly pulled it out of her pocket, plucking the small slip of paper from the dispenser. _'Flirt.'_ Once again, it bestowed its knowledge with a sort of worrying one-liner.

Before Nino could act, Marinette placed a hand on her hip, trying her best to look a little flirty. "H-hey, hot stuff. You, uh, come here often?"

Despite her horrible and cringe-worthy attempt, Nino looked flustered. "Flirting?" he exclaimed, his rubbery cheeks turning red. "W-well, I'll have you know, I'm a bubbler with standards."

"I have zero redeeming qualities," Marinette replied instantly.

"I never knew a person could be so humble," Nino said, sounding quite astonished. Marinette thought the sudden resemblance between Nino and Chat was uncanny. "Only a cool person can be so humble. Let's hang out later, okay?"

Marinette wondered if Nino really understood the consequences of trying to fight her.

"Sure, of course," she said, giving him a sweet smile. He smiled back as he waved his bubble wand, conjuring a few small white bubbles that immediately drifted toward Marinette and her heart.

The bubbles were easy enough to dodge, and Nino didn't seem to care that she was left unharmed. "I wonder what we should do when we hang out," he mused, waving his bubble wand and conjuring more white bubbles.

"Not fight, that's for sure," Marinette said, weaving between the bubbles and keeping a hand close to her heart so that she could steer it away from danger.

"Oh! I know," he continued as if she hadn't spoken, "I could show you my music collection. It's really nice, I think. I have a bunch of CDs from the surface that humans throw away."

A pang of sadness rippled through her, temporarily slowing her down just enough so that a bubble got stuck on her hand. Cursing, she waved her hand furiously, finally having the common sense to bend down and scrape it off in the snow.

"You know, Alya is so under appreciative of my collection. But I think you'd like it."

"Maybe," she replied, shaking her hand to regain feeling in her fingers.

He waved his bubble wand again, a thoughtful expression on his face. "Now that what we should do is settled, what do you think I should make? We can't just go out and eat at Grillby's, that's such a lazy thing to do."

She snorted. "Something that Chat would do."

"Exactly! See, you get me!" He sighed, poking one of the bubbles he'd made so that it popped. "Do you think I should make some spaghetti? Or maybe I should spice things up a bit and make something else?"

Marinette screeched, grabbing her heart before it could float directly into a bubble.

"Really? I thought so too. Spaghetti it is then." He looked extremely happy about this fact. "Well, since that's all figured out, I guess we should focus on our fight."

 _He wasn't even paying attention to the fight?_ Marinette wondered, looking around at the mass of bubbles around them. When she noticed the mischievous grin on his face, she realized that, no, he hadn't been paying attention.

Nino brought up his bubble wand like it was a sword, then twirled it around in his hands, each twirl letting out a new attack of bubbles.

"Holy shit," Marinette breathed, caught somewhere between amazed and terrified.

"Wait," Nino said, and immediately all the bubbles stopped floating toward her, remaining completely still in the air, "there's something missing."

She looked down at her heart, and, judging by it's rapid pulsing, she guessed it was just as terrified as she was.

He stuck the end of his bubble wand in the snow so that it was standing straight up, and then pulled out a small device that looked suspiciously like an iPod. He fiddled with the device for a couple moments, then grinned, stuffing it back in his pocket and flipping his headphones inside out so that they blared some strange sort of techno music.

"A fight is only as good as its theme music."

And then the bubbles resumed their attack.

Marinette screamed, clutching her heart close to her and diving for the ground, which seemed to be the only place there weren't any bubbles. She heard the _whoosh_ of the bubbles going over her head, felt them ruffle her hair, and she squeezed her eyes shut, keeping a tight grip on her heart.

Her Miraculous remained absolutely silent, and Marinette wondered why it couldn't at least give her a pointer to not do anything if that was what she was supposed to do.

When she thought it was safe to look up, a stray bubble stuck to her cheekbone, and she cursed, picking it off with her fingernails and wiping her hand off in the snow. Her cheekbone throbbed angrily as she stood up.

Nino furrowed his eyebrows at her, looking at her in confusion. "Why aren't you fighting back?" he asked as she continued to just stand there and not do anything.

"Don't feel like it," she said with a shrug.

He blinked at her, seemingly trying to figure out what she was thinking. In her hands, her heart was still pulsing wildly. "Well, let's see how you do against my famous blue attack," he said once he'd regained his composure.

Again, he did that fancy bubble wand maneuver (in time with the techno music still blaring from his headphones), but this time, the bubbles that came out were a bright blue. She wasn't as terrified as before. She definitely still found it awesome, though.

She remained completely still, keeping her heart in her hands as the rushes of bubbles passed harmlessly through her. After the fifth or so rush, Marinette trusted her heart enough to remain still. She removed her hands from around it, careful to be still when bubbles passed by her hands.

The instant her heart was free from her hands, a bubble passed through her heart, turning it from red to blue.

"What the-"

Her blue heart dropped like a stone to the snowy ground, where a small white bubble floated toward it.

"Move away!"

It didn't.

Marinette gasped as the bubble collided with her heart, pain shooting through her chest.

"Get it?" Nino asked, grinning at her like they were just playing and not fighting. "Blue attack. You're blue now."

She tried to move away, but found that her feet seemed glued to the snow. She looked down.

Her formerly red rain boots were now blue.

White bubbles formed in rows by her heart and her feet, and she tried to run away, or even lift a foot, but found that she couldn't.

 _I'm blue now._

A row of the bubbles moved swiftly toward her and her heart, and she cried out as the bubbles stuck to her boots. They didn't make any holes in her shoes, but they did burn like hell, like they were striking her bare skin. With each hit, her feet throbbed painfully (especially the one she'd hurt earlier), and her cheekbone started to pulse painfully in time with her heartbeat.

After the row had passed her by, Marinette looked down at her heart, her vision hazy. "How are you somehow unharmed?" she demanded through gritted teeth.

It seemed to look up at her as it hopped in place.

"Oh."

Nino summoned the next couple of rows of bubbles, throwing in a couple tall rows of blue bubbles. "Wait, wait, wait. Ugh, I just realized I don't know what to wear for when we hang out."

Marinette noticed that each time she hopped, it was in time with the music. _Did he purposely plan that?_

"Surely what you're wearing now should do," Marinette said, wincing as she jumped once more. It hurt to constantly jump and land on her injured feet, but it hurt a lot less than having the bubbles sticking to her boots.

"You're right," Nino said, nodding thoughtfully. "My current outfit should be suitable for a hang out." He paused, watching her and her heart jump over the rows of bubbles quite successfully. "You know, you're doing really well. Almost makes me want to use my special attack."

The rows of bubbles started to get more complicated, making sort of patterns that made them hard to avoid. Marinette and her heart were still able to jump away from them in time, though.

"When I defeat you, I'll be able to become part of the Royal Guard," he said, watching her avoid his attacks with a detached sort of interest. His foot was tapping to the beat of the music.

"I've gathered that already," Marinette said, turning away from him so that she could leap over a particularly long row of bubbles.

"And Alya would be so proud of me," he said, his face visibly brightening. Marinette wondered who exactly this Alya person was. "Chat will… Well, he won't change very much, but I can promise you he'd be very happy for me."

"Without out a doubt," she commented, wiping sweat off her lip. No fight she'd been in before had been so physically exhausting.

"I'll have loads of admirers all wanting to know how I captured the human." His voice turned a little sad, and there was a break in the rows, allowing Marinette to look over at him, concern furrowing her brow. "But… I don't think they'd all be as sincere as you and Chat and Alya are."

"Nino…" She trailed off, looking down at her heart, wondering what she should say. But then new rows of bubbles appeared and she squeaked, leaping over the first row just in time.

"People like you are really rare, you know. Even among akuma kind." He started to wave his bubble wand around, making attacks but not sending them toward her. "And it would be a little hard to hang out with you after you're captured and sent away."

"It really would," Marinette said, jumping over a row of bubbles and trying not to sound frantic, "so that's why we should-"

Something in Nino's face hardened. "Whatever. You're human. I don't care anymore!"

"What? No, no, no! Care!" She jumped at the wrong time, landing directly in a row of bubbles at exactly the same time the bass dropped in the music he was playing.

He started to wave the bubble wand more fiercely, creating one mega attack with sure swipes. "Give up or I'll use my special attack!" he yelled, gesturing to the super mega attack he'd been creating.

Marinette didn't give up.

"Fine! Here goes!" He started to wave his bubble wand at the bubbles, making them move toward Marinette and her heart, but before they could get very far, a dog burst out from seemingly nowhere and bounded toward the bubbles, yipping and snapping at them until every single one had popped.

"Oh, wow," Marinette said, relishing in the time she had to catch her breath, but also feeling bad for Nino. "That's got to suck a whole lot."

For a moment, Nino just stared at the dog in an angry sort of shock, his eye twitching relentlessly. The dog stared back, though it looked a lot less bothered. And then it bounded away.

"Hey! Wait, stop, you dumb dog! You can't just ruin someone's special attack and then run away! Stop!"

The dog didn't stop.

Marinette shared a look of mutual amusement with her heart.

Nino sighed heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose. "And people wonder why I prefer cats. I mean, sure, the only cat I've really met is Chat and he's absolutely useless sometimes, but at least he doesn't ruin my special attacks." He spent a moment pouting before he looked back at Marinette. "Well, since that was ruined, I guess I'll just have to use a totally normal attack."

He pouted the whole time he was making the attack.

"Here's a totally normal attack," he sighed, gesturing with his bubble wand for the bubbles to go and do their thing.

The attack, as it turned out, was not at all normal.

Rows of bubbles moved up and down, and although it still went in time with the music so that she knew when to jump, she still panicked and screamed every time she had to jump.

Nino hurled attack after attack at her, and, more than once, bubbles got stuck to her legs and feet. Thankfully, her heart remained unharmed.

Her vision was starting to get blurry when the attacks stopped, and she looked up at Nino, struggling to see straight. The combination of pain and tiredness was _definitely_ not something she liked.

"Well," Nino huffed, obviously just as out of breath as Marinette was (though considerably less hurt, meaning she was seeing stars and he wasn't hurt at all), "it seems you can't defeat me."

"True," Marinette managed to say, squeezing her eyes shut and trying to push the pain and exhaustion aside for the moment.

"I…" Nino took a deep breath. "I'm sparing you."

Marinette's heart (and boots) turned red again, and her heart floated up to her, seeping into her chest and spreading warmth throughout her entire body.

Nino sighed heavily, lowering his bubble wand and flipping his headphones back in so the music stopped blaring, turning tinny and soft. Marinette figured that him doing that meant the fight really was over. "I'll never be able to join the Royal Guard," he said, tracing patterns in the snow with his bubble wand. "Alya will be so disappointed in me. I'll never be able to be the hero."

Feeling better after her heart had returned to her body, Marinette found the strength to walk towards him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure that isn't true." He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "Really, I mean it."

He let go of the bubble wand, and, as soon as he stopped touching it, it turned into a mass of harmless bubbles, which all gravitated toward him and stuck to his hand, where they turned into a regular bottle of bubbles.

"People like you really are rare," he said with a sigh, looking down at the bottle. "Marinette… since we aren't fighting anymore, I can consider you a friend, right?"

"Right," she answered, smiling at the use of her name.

"And since we're friends, I can give you directions on how to leave the Underground." Marinette let go of his shoulder as he stood up to his full height, tossing the bottle of bubbles in the air, where it disappeared with a pop. "I'm sure you'll have Chat escort you since he's grown so attached to you, but I think there'll be times when you're left alone."

"That's true," she admitted, thinking back to the times Chat had left her to go do more important things, whatever that was.

"Literally all you have to do is go east through Waterfall and Hotland, and when you've been through both of those places, you keep heading east until you reach the Barrier. Which is in the palace."

"No big deal," Marinette said, feeling like it was a very big deal.

"I'm sure you'll be fine," Nino said with a smile. "King Plagg is a big pushover. If you just say you want to go home and be nice about it, I have no doubt he'll be nice about it."

Marinette thought back to what felt like so long ago, before she'd left the Ruins. Tikki had said that Plagg would try and kill her.

"Anyway," Nino continued, not seeming to see her uneasy expression. "Akumas can't get through the barrier because our Souls aren't powerful enough, not even human Souls are powerful enough, really."

"Then how-?"

"That Miraculous you have," Nino said, gesturing to her yo-yo, which was resting comfortably in her pocket. "I'm not sure how you got it, but you have it, which means you can get through the Barrier by yourself. Because a powerful human Soul – like yours – combined with the magic of a Miraculous is just enough to confuse the Barrier to let you through."

"I don't… I don't understand." Maybe it was the exhaustion that was muddling her thoughts. Or maybe it was the pain. It could've been a whole bunch of things, really, that made everything hard to understand.

"The Barrier was made when powerful humans used Miraculous objects, which are regular objects infused with magic. Get it now?"

Marinette was starting to fell dizzy. "Not really."

Nino's eyes drifted toward something behind her, and he paled, laughing nervously. "Um, I'm sure Chat will explain it all to you when you aren't so" – he cleared his throat – "tired. But for now, I have to run. Fast. Don't forget to come over later so we can hang out!" He sprinted away before Marinette could get a word in.

She was confused about Nino's hasty retreat, but then Chat leaped in front of her, his green eyes blazing with anger as he glared after Nino, who seemed to be running as fast as he could.

"Oh, hey," she said, her words feeling light and airy.

Chat whipped around, his expression softening instantly. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. I can't believe he hurt you so much-"

The snowy ground was rushing up to her. Or maybe she was falling down to it? She couldn't tell. She hit the ground before she could figure it out.

"Marinette!"


	17. Chapter 16

Marinette was standing in the middle of a grass field, feeling confused, but otherwise unharmed. The blurry person in the red bodysuit that she had grown used to seeing every time she was unconscious sat in the grass before her, humming and picking at the dirt.

"Can't I just have a regular dream? Just once would be nice," she said, sitting down anyway. "And isn't this a drastic scene change? Aren't we normally in a weird limbo-looking place?"

The person plucked out two strands of grass, placing them on Marinette's knee. "That place is so boring, don't you think?"

She looked around at the plain field. "There's not much here, either."

"True," they admitted, shrugging a little. "But a change of pace never hurt anyone."

"That's exactly what I told myself before I tripped into a hole and died multiple times."

"Are you ever in a good mood?"

Marinette shrugged. "Maybe if I trusted you more."

The person didn't look the least bit bothered. "It seems you're starting to get curious about the history of akumas," they said, braiding three strand of grass together.

"I get curious about a lot of things."

"Yes, but I don't think you'll get the full story from the akuma history books. I know you'll get the whole part of the story that they know, but I'd like to tell you what I know."

"And why should I care?" Marinette asked, in no mood at all to deal with this person. She wasn't sure how she didn't notice it before, but there was something about this person that didn't seem right.

"Because," they said, and Marinette got the feeling that they were actually starting to get serious. "That Miraculous you have used to belong to me."

Chat sat by the bed, his elbows resting on his knees, concern furrowing his eyebrows. Marinette was lying down, looking peaceful as ever. He had pulled the blankets over her so that looked almost as if she was sleeping, not unconscious from pain and exhaustion.

He couldn't believe Nino.

Sure, he had figured that she definitely wouldn't come out of the fight totally unharmed, but he had at least expected for her to be able to stand. And Nino, that coward, had just run off.

It was no mystery why. Even just thinking about it made Chat's blood boil.

Nino was Chat's best friend, and nothing – _nothing_ – would ever change that, but they had to have a serious talk.

But now wasn't the time for that. He waited for Marinette to wake up.

Marinette blinked. "What?"

"You're Miraculous. It used to be mine."

"Why does that matter?" she asked, very tired and in dire need of rest without some blurry asshole interjecting and making her _think_ about things.

"That's what I'm supposed to tell you. Why it matters."

They paused, waiting for Marinette to say something, but she was very tired of talking. Her head was starting to pound. Was that even possible in dreams?

When it was clear Marinette wasn't going to say anything, they continued. "I'm sure you've heard at least something about the humans who created the barrier, right? They used some magic to help along the process, and that magic wasn't raw magic. It was magic that had been fused with regular objects, otherwise known as Miraculous."

Marinette vaguely remembered hearing that from Nino.

"Now, there are currently seven Miraculous in existence, but back when the barrier was created, there were only five."

Pain shot through Marinette's body, and she clutched her head. She was getting dizzy, and her feet were starting to throb. Her cheekbone burned.

"Oh, no," the person said, grabbing Marinette's hands. She tried to wrench them away. "No, don't! Your body is trying to wake you up, and I still have to tell you-"

"I don't care!" It wasn't like she was paying attention anyway.

They still kept a tight grip on Marinette's hands, keeping her from passing out (if that could even happen in dreams.) "I understand, but let me at least tell you about the earrings-"

Marinette was experiencing an odd sort of feeling in her stomach. Almost like she wanted to throw up. "Let me go!"

"Tikki pinned them to your sweater; they're the second part of your Miraculous. They'll give you extra strength if you wear them, and they'll definitely-"

At last, Marinette got her hands free. And then the grass field disappeared.

Chat had been so focused on waiting for Marinette to wake up that when she bolted upright with a very loud gasp, he fell out of his chair.

"Holy-" He stopped, clutching a hand to his chest, slowing down his heart beat. "You scared me, bug," he breathed, meaning it in two ways.

She put a hand to her head, a small groan escaping her lips. "I am in so much pain right now. Everything hurts." It was a slight exaggeration, sure, but Marinette thought she deserved the right to complain for a bit.

Scrambling to his feet, Chat was immediately by her side, snapping back to his concerned self. "Where does it hurt? Do you need anything?"

Marinette raised her eyebrow at him.

"You scared me, bug," he sighed, and this time, she understood it was in reference to her passing out. "Let me dote on you for a bit, okay?"

"That's fine, considering I'm in a mood to be doted on." She stretched, wincing a little as her sore muscles screamed in protest. "I could go for some of that healing akuma food."

"Yeah, anything," he said, reaching for the bedside table and picking up her Miraculous. Once again, she raised her eyebrow at him, and he stared back, unabashed. "I wanted you to be comfortable."

"Which explains why I'm not wearing my shoes," she said, suddenly realized that her blistered feet were rubbing against the soft blankets.

"Marinette-"

"Food," she interrupted, recognizing that tone in his voice, "and then we'll talk."

He didn't look at all happy about it, but he relented. "Alright, but save some room for Grillby's." For a few moments, he fiddled with the yo-yo, his eyebrows creasing as he tried harder and harder to open the storage compartment.

"Give it to me," she finally said, sighing a little. She held out her hand for it, but he shrank back, giving her a look. "Really?"

"Yes, really. I plan to spoil you as much as I can. And that includes figuring out how to open this dumb thing." He was pressing the spots on it with growing frustration, and Marinette's thoughts started to wander to the dream she had had.

She didn't remember very much about it – it was all sort of fuzzy. She remembered being angry about… something. And she remembered something about magic objects.

Her eyes drifted over to Chat, whose tongue was sticking out as he tried to wrench open her yo-yo.

 _Not that magic object,_ she thought, her eyebrows furrowing as she tried to remember. _Something about Tikki. And rings. And my sweater._

As Chat continued to try and open up the Miraculous, Marinette looked down at her sweater, chewing on her lip. She wasn't sure what she was expecting to find, the sweater looked the same as usual, but she knew that there was something that the person in her dreams had tried to tell her about.

"Finally!" Chat exclaimed as the storage compartment popped open. "I don't know how you do that so easily."

"Someone showed me how," she said with a shrug.

"So what do you want?" he asked, peering into the compartment. "It looks like you have some cinnamon buns, a couple bicicles, Nice Cream, a spider donut, and a little bit of spider cider left."

"I'll drink the rest of the spider cider. And I think I'll have the spider donut," she said, hoping that was enough to cure her pounding headache and blistered feet.

He gave her what she wanted, and, just as she was downing the rest of the spider cider, took out the bell she had bought at the shop. "What's this?"

Marinette blinked. She'd almost forgotten she'd bought that. "Oh. It's a bell."

"Well, I know that," he said, rolling his eyes. "But why do you have it?"

Something in her stomach fluttered, and she felt her face turn a little red. "You said you wanted one."

Chat stared at her.

"You know, when we passed through the dark woods. You told me you'd like a bell." Well, that wasn't really what he told her, but she'd rather not think about the other thing he had mentioned wanting.

"You remembered?"

"I don't have short term memory loss, contrary to popular belief," she said with a snort. She sort of expected him to laugh, too, but he didn't, still just staring at her. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she asked, starting to feel self conscious and a little flustered. "It's just a bell."

It took him a moment to snap out of whatever daze he was in. "Right." She could've been imagining it, but his face seemed to have turned sort of pink. "Um, thank you."

"No problem."

A strange sort of awkward silence settled over them. Marinette nibbled on the spider donut. Chat stared down at the bell. Bother of them were quite red in the face.

"Well," he said, clearing his throat, "you seem tired, so I'll, um, leave you to rest." He stood up, keeping the bell in his hands. "That's the bathroom just in case you have to use it," he said, pointing to a door on the other side of the room.

"Thanks. Do you want me to come find you, or-"

"No," he interrupted, his voice firm. "No, I'll come back later. You just stay safe, okay?"

Marinette blinked, nodding her head. She could've protested, but her words had failed her at the moment.

His face softened, and he momentarily glanced down at the bell. "I'll see you later, Marinette." He left before she could even try and form a sentence.

"R-right," she stuttered, for some reason feeling very flustered. "Later." She flopped back on the bed, staring at the ceiling. The spider donut had been almost unbearably sweet, and the taste lingered in her mouth, clinging to her tongue. She bit back a smile, her stomach doing a flip.

She fell asleep, and for once, she dreamt of nothing at all.

Chat fastened the bell to the zipper of his suit, hoping that the blush on his face wasn't as noticeable as it felt. Sure, he had promised that he'd dote on her, but he couldn't exactly do that when just looking at her made him want to do somersaults.

But his strange desire to do gymnastics didn't matter right now. Marinette had woken up and she seemed okay enough to not be in any serious danger at the moment, which meant that Chat could stop worrying about her for at least five minutes. Which was long enough to have a talk with a certain someone.

He stalked over to his and Nino's lodge, feeling his anger start to boil up again. Even though Nino had run away, Chat had no doubt that the guilt would've eaten him away by now. And he was definitely not the type to avoid problems.

"Nino!" he shouted as he opened the door, only to find that Nino was sitting on the couch waiting for him.

"Is Marinette okay?" he asked, and Chat felt his anger die down a bit.

"She's resting," Chat answered, walking over to the couch and sitting next to him. "But it was pretty bad, Nino. Her feet looked really bad." He paused, squeezing his eyes shut and sighing. "And I mean really bad."

Nino furrowed his eyebrows. "I didn't think she had gotten so hurt," he said, and it was barely even a protest. "You should've seen her. She wasn't letting anything get to her."

"You know that she isn't an akuma, right? She isn't immune to magic."

"Of course I know she isn't an akuma! I just got carried away." Nino sighed, rubbing his hands over his eyes. "But I won't hurt her again, okay? You know that." Chat picked at a loose thread in the couch, his anger now nothing more than a slight irritation.

"And what about joining the Royal Guard? What will Alya say?"

Nino took a deep breath. It seemed he had been preparing himself for that moment. "It doesn't matter. I just wanted to join the Royal Guard to change things. To help you, mostly. But I can do that without being in the Guard."

Chat felt his heart swell in gratitude. "And what about Alya?"

"She'll…" Nino's voice faltered, but then he set his shoulders, putting on a determined face. "She'll come around. I know she will."

"Are you sure?" Chat asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Yes," Nino said with a nod. "Alya knows what's right, and I'll make her see that fighting humans isn't the answer."

"She's pretty stubborn."

"I'm not saying it'll be easy."

For a moment, they looked at each other, and finally Chat smiled, bumping Nino with his shoulder.

"I'm glad she's okay, you know," Nino said, bumping Chat back. "She's… really nice." Chat gave Nino a suspicious look, but Nino just brushed him off. "Dude, you know it's not like that. But I'm glad I get to be her friend."

"Yeah," Chat said after a moment. "Yeah, I get what you mean." He stood up, stretching not unlike a cat. "And speaking of her, I should go back."

Nino stood up, too, giving Chat a clap on the back. "You do that. And tell her to come by later. Formal apology and all that." Chat nodded, and, as he started to walk away, his bell jingled. Nino grinned. "Nice bell."

Chat ducked his head, hoping that hid his burning face.

"Thanks."

Marinette woke up more refreshed than she had been in a while. Probably because there hadn't been anyone trying to talk to her in her dreams. She rolled around in the bed for a while, hoping to get at least a little bit more of sleep, but after a couple of minutes, she faced reality and sat up.

Despite the fact that she felt refreshed and a whole lot better than usual, there was still something nagging at the back of her mind. She was sure it was something at least a little bit important, but she wasn't sure what it was.

It would come back to her. Probably.

She stretched, her muscles still tight, but not as terrible as the last time she had woken up. Rubbing her eyes as she got out of bed, she recalled Chat telling her not to leave.

 _Then what the heck am I supposed to do?_

Her hair felt disgusting. She looked over at the door that Chat had pointed at which was supposed to be a bathroom.

 _Shower. I could shower._

She grabbed her Miraculous off the nightstand (just in case), then headed to the bathroom, undoing the braids that Chat had put in her hair. Normally, her hair wasn't the tangly type, but as she ran her fingers through it, she discovered the pain of tangles.

Wincing as she pulled out yet another tangle, she looked around the bathroom. It wasn't anything special, just the usual bathtub and toilet, which made Marinette feel extremely relieved. She was glad that at least something was normal here in the place where everything felt aggressively not normal.

Thankfully, the water was easy enough to turn on, and she let it run for a bit, hoping for some hot water. Once the water suited her tastes, she stripped and jumped in, letting the water soothe her sore muscles.

When she got out (after using some CB-brand glittery pink shampoo and conditioner), she dried herself off with one of the spare towels, draping it around her neck as she got dressed again. She couldn't help but notice that her feet were fully healed.

She wiped away the condensation on the mirror, staring at her reflection. She looked… almost like she had gone back in time to when things were normal. But her eyes were different. They held a sort of dark look that one could only get if they'd looked death in the face.

She turned away from the mirror before she could think anything else.

As she slipped on her sweater, she remembered quite suddenly what the important thing was.

 _Not rings. Earrings. Pinned to my sweater._

Looking down, however, there was nothing out of the ordinary that stood out. She pulled at the fabric, hoping to find something earring-like. Finally, after a couple minutes of tugging, she found what she was looking for.

At the bottom front of the sweater, near the black trim, there were two small and round metal things. She flipped that part of the sweater inside out, and sure enough, there were two earring backs.

She unpinned the earrings from her sweater, bringing them up to her face for a better look. They were red with black polka dots, like her sweater. Except there were only five black dots.

Whatever the earrings were supposed to do for her, she knew that were at least a little bit important. She knew that much.

A really long time ago, she had gotten her ears pierced, but the holes were no doubt closed up by now after so many years of not using them. _This is going to hurt._

And it did.

She practically stabbed each ear with each earring, and it stung a whole lot. There was maybe even blood. But she didn't wait long enough to find out, pulling her yo-yo out and opening up the storage compartment. She tore off a piece of a cinnamon bun and stuffed it inside her mouth so quickly her head spun a little.

But at least her ears didn't sting anymore.

She sat down on the bed, feeling the earrings and hoping that her skin had healed in such a way that made it easy to take out the earrings. If not… She'd have to deal with that later.

Just as she was putting in the earring backs, Chat walked in, his hand over his eyes. "Are you decent?" he called, and Marinette couldn't suppress the snort that came out of her mouth.

"Yes, dummy, I am decent." She couldn't help but notice that he was wearing the bell.

He uncovered his eyes, grinning at her. "Just in case." His ears twitched and his nose scrunched up, not at all unlike a cat's. Marinette felt a weird surge of affection that she immediately repressed. "Did you shower?"

"I did," she replied, motioning to her still very wet hair.

He stepped closer, his bright green eyes narrowing. "You seem different," he said, his nose scrunching up again.

"Is it because I'm clean?" she asked, running her fingers through her hair and flicking away water droplets.

"No," he said, stepped even closer. Marinette had to move her head up to look him in the eye. "It's something else." He crouched so that they were almost eye-level. Now she had to look down just a bit.

He lifted his hand. Marinette's heart raced. For no reason in particular, of course.

"Chat?" she asked, her voice coming out in a weird whisper. He tucked her hair behind her ears, and Marinette felt her heart jump up to her throat.

"Marinette?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you have these earrings?"


	18. Chapter 17

Chat's face was unbearably close. Marinette's heart was beating almost right out of her chest, and she had no doubt that Chat could hear it.

"W-what?" she stuttered, blinking hard and fast. Had his lips always looked so soft?

"The earrings," he said, and something about his tone made her snap out of whatever daze she was in. "Where did you get them?"

Even if she had been snapped out of her daze, she couldn't help but looks at his lips. And the way his hair sort of curled toward his face –

Marinette shoved him away before her thoughts could wander to his impossibly green eyes and perfectly sculpted nose. "G-give me some space, will you?" she said, jumping up from her place on the bed and walking over to the other side of the room.

"Marinette-"

"Shut up," she interrupted, closing her eyes and taking a moment to control her heart rate. After a moment, she opened her eyes and turned to Chat, raising her eyebrows at him. "So? What's so important about these earrings?"

He stared at her, wondering just what had gotten into her. "It doesn't matter, just tell me why you have them. And where you got them."

"Of course it matters," she said, reaching her hand up and touching one of the earrings. It might've been her imagination, but she could've sworn she felt a spark of energy. "And I'm not telling you unless you tell me."

Chat sighed exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What are you, five?" he demanded, striding across the room to get in her face. "Those earrings belonged to someone important to me, okay? Now where did you get them?"

She studied his expression for a moment. And then she ducked away from him, plopping down on the bed. "Someone important to me gave them to me. I didn't find them until now." He sat down carefully next to her, and she was acutely aware of how close their thighs were, for some reason. "I was told that they're important," she said, shifting just the slightest bit away from him. "Why?"

"If someone told you they were important, then why didn't they tell you the rest?"

Marinette thought back to her dream, where she had been stubborn and in pain. "I didn't really give them the chance to," she said, wincing a little.

"Why not?"

"It was kind of a bad time for me _._ " _Being in immense pain for no reason can kind of ruin stuff, you know?_

He looked at her, his eyes trained on her ear, his eyebrows knitted together. "The earrings can give you power. Like, a lot of power." He paused, and, for a moment, Marinette thought that was all he was going to say. But then he continued. "And those earrings… They're what the Royal Guard is after."

"I thought the Royal Guard is after humans."

Chat sighed heavily, looking down at his lap. "Yeah. The akumas don't want humans in their area. You've read the history books, haven't you? They – the akumas – are scared."

"Then what about the earrings?"

He looked over at her again, reaching a hand up and tucking her hair behind her ear. The action seemed almost intimate, but his expression was too sad to get Marinette's heart to race again.

"It's time for a history lesson, little bug." His hand dropped down to his lap, and he took a deep breath. "I'm sure you know about how four humans banded together to seal akuma-kind underground forever, yes?"

"I've seen it mentioned," Marinette answered, thinking back to the history book she'd read.

"The thing about those four humans is that they used magic. But, as seen with the creation of akumas, magic bonding with humans directly can be dangerous. And, yeah, humans could use magic a little bit, but these four humans needed a lot in order to have to power to create a barrier.

"And they had heard about a human who had infused magic into an object, which allowed him to use magic as he wished without any restraints. So they took a page from his book and took four everyday objects – a hair comb, a necklace, a pair of earrings, and a hair pin – and infused them with magic."

"If it was that easy, then why didn't all humans do that?" Marinette asked.

"Because humans are dumb. And the more magic the used, the more they would seem like akumas. Which wouldn't end well."

"Oh."

"Yeah. Anyway, the humans went and named these object Miraculous Stones, even though the objects weren't stones, but whatever." Marinette resisted the urge to snort. "And so the four Miraculous holders went to the guy who created the first Miraculous Stone and asked for his help in creating the barrier. Because they'd need all the magic they could get. But he firmly denied them because he was one of those rare decent human beings that had morals."

 _Did Chat just burn the entire human race?_

"So the four had to make do with what they had, which was more than enough to create the barrier. And after the barrier was created, they didn't feel the need to use magic anymore, but they believed that there would come a day when the barrier would have to be reinforced, or something, so they passed down the Stones to their children. And their children passed them down to _their_ children, and so forth. Somewhere along the line, smaller vessels called Miraculous Objects" – he pointed to Marinette's yo-yo – "were created to accompany the Stones, but they didn't hold nearly as much power as the Stones, so they were pretty much thrown away sometimes, some of them even winding up here in the Underground."

Even though Marinette was thoroughly interested in the history, she couldn't help but feel a bit antsy. "I don't understand how this is-"

"Shush, let me finish," Chat interrupted, and Marinette sighed. "So Miraculous Objects ended up here in the Underground, which meant some smart scientist akumas were able to figure out the basic outlines of what the humans had done to create the barrier. And this meant that had found a way to maybe destroy the barrier."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

Marinette touched a finger to her earrings, wondering what this meant for the rest of her journey. It had seemed like she'd been here for forever, but in reality, she'd only just started. There were still so many akumas that she'd have to face in order to be able to leave, if she'd even make it.

"Can't I just… hand over the earrings? You know, talk it out? No one dies?" It was a stupid idea and she knew it, considering she'd already died several times.

"You're still a human," Chat reminded her. "Once the akumas realize that, they won't want you here, and they won't let you leave without a fight."

"But if I give them the power to destroy the barrier, then-"

"Don't you understand?" Chat interrupted, putting his hands on Marinette's cheeks. "The akumas _hate_ humans. Once the barrier is destroyed, what's stopping them from committing a genocide on the human race?"

Tears gathered in Marinette's eyes. She suddenly felt very small. "Then what am I supposed to do?" she asked, trying her best to keep her voice steady.

"You just have to get through the Underground undetected."

"But-" Her voice cracked. She started again, pushing Chat's hands away from her face. "But the barrier is in the palace. And I won't leave without doing something about this."

"You're going to have to."

A long silence followed in which Marinette really felt like slapping Chat. In which Chat stared at her, hoping she got the message that he really didn't want her playing the hero and getting hurt.

Marinette stood up and walked over to the bathroom without a word.

The bathroom mirror was still covered in condensation from her shower, save for the messily wiped off space where she had stared at her reflection. When she glanced at her reflection now, she noticed that her hair had a slightly pink tint and had glitter in it. It looked like stars had been placed in her hair. She blamed the CB-brand shampoo.

Sure, Chat didn't want her getting into unnecessary trouble. That made sense. But Marinette wasn't about making sense.

 _Chat doesn't want me trying to help the akumas._

 _But what if I did?_

It'd be stupid and near impossible.

 _I'll try anyway._

She stared at her black-tinted-pink hair with glitter stars tangled in the strands and promised herself that she'd help the akumas see the real stars one day.

Walking out of the bathroom, she saw Chat, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands.

 _I suppose we seem like a married couple that just had their first fight._ Her heart skipped a beat.

"Weren't we going to go to Grillby's?" she asked, and Chat's head snapped up.

"Your hair's glittery."

"It is." She separated it in two and tied it into two messy pigtails. "Are we going?"

Chat stared at her, and something about his stare made her realize that he knew that she was going to totally ignore what he wanted her to do. "Yeah, we're going."

As they walked out of the hotel room, Marinette noticed that the room next door was emitting very loud snoring sounds, and she wondered how she did not hear it at all in the long while she'd spent in her room. Granted, the time she had spent in her room was ninety percent her being unconscious, but still.

When they reached the lobby, she saw that there was a handsome boy looking akuma behind the counter, playing a card game with a bunny akuma.

Marinette turned to Chat. "We're at the Inn, right?"

"Yeah," he replied, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Which is right next to the Shop?"

"That's the one."

She walked over to the counter. "You're Rose's friend, aren't you?" The boy had forest green eyes and neatly trimmed hair. Marinette thought he looked vaguely princely.

His expression brightened. "Oh! You're that girl that the cat boy carried in a while ago," he said. "You're alright now, though, right? Because you didn't look too good when he carried you in."

"Yeah, I'm all healed up." The bunny akuma pulled at the boy's suit. "Sorry," Marinette said, bending a little to address the bunny. "Did I interrupt your game?"

The bunny shook its head shyly. It climbed onto the counter and stood on its tippy toes to whisper in the boy's ear. The boy giggled, turning back to Marinette. "He says you're very pretty."

Even though the comment had come from the bunny, Marinette still found herself blushing, a little flustered by the very attractive boy saying she was pretty.

Across the room, something stirred in Chat's heart, and he didn't think it was all that great.

"Thanks, kid," Marinette said with a grin as she recovered, ruffling the fur on the top of the bunny's head. "I think it's the pink shampoo I used. It makes my hair very pretty, doesn't it?"

The bunny turned just the slightest bit red, and then shook its head, gesturing at its face and then pointing at Marinette. "He means that he was saying you were pretty because of your face, not your hair." The boy paused, looking Marinette over. "Though I'm sure he means that just in general you are very pretty."

Once again, Marinette blushed. Once again, Chat fumed.

He watched them from far away, festering in his own anger silently, but not wanting to miss out the chance to see Marinette so carefree. He was conflicted, to say the least.

The boy leaned his elbow on the counter, offering his hand to Marinette. "I'm Ali, and I'm friends with Rose, as you mentioned before."

"I'm Marinette," she said, shaking Ali's hand. It was almost terrifyingly soft. "And I'm friends with the cat boy you mentioned before," she said, gesturing to the for some reason very angry looking Chat across the room.

"Ah," Ali said, nodding his head. "Speaking of the cat boy, he really did carry you in here." He leaned in closer, giving her a very smug and very knowing look. "He was carrying you so carefully. One would say tenderly, in fact."

Marinette felt her face growing extremely hot. She looked down at the bunny akuma for salvation. The bunny just shrugged helplessly. She looked back at Ali. He was wiggling his eyebrows at her.

Ali's eyes flicked over to Chat, and his smug and knowing look intensified tenfold. "Oh, my," he said, looking back to Marinette, "he really looks jealous."

"J-jealous?" Marinette scoffed, waving her hand and blushing furiously. "Why would he be jealous?"

Ali leaned even closer. Their noses were practically touching. "He wants to be in the place I'm standing in right now," he said, and Marinette couldn't help but replace Ali's forest green eyes with Chat terribly bright green ones. Her heart raced.

Chat stormed over to them, gripping Marinette's hand and pulling her away from Ali. Placing himself between them, he looked back at Marinette. "I'm hungry. Are you hungry? We should go to Grillby's."

As he led her away from the counter, Marinette gave Ali and the bunny a helpless look.

"You shouldn't worry so much, cat boy," Ali called after them. "I ride the swing set for boys." Marinette thought he maybe got the phrase wrong. Chat gripped her hand tighter.

He pulled her out of the Inn and wouldn't stop pulling her until they reached Grillby's. Marinette finally decided to fight back instead of letting him pull her in there, too.

She tore her hand away from his and placed her hands on her hips, raising an eyebrow and silently demanding an explanation. Chat crossed his arms, leveling her stare with a very defiant one of his own.

But in the end, she held out the longest, and he cracked under the pressure of her gaze.

"Did you think he was cute?" he asked shyly, uncrossing his arms and looking down at the snow.

Marinette liked to see the world burn. "I did."

Chat looked up at her through his terribly messy fringe, his extremely kissable lips pushing out in a pout. "Cuter than me?" he asked, and she felt her dumb heart skip a beat.

"None of your business." Whatever was going on with her heart would have to sit back forever for fear of inflating Chat's already elephant-sized ego.

He pouted for a moment more then turned to the front door of Grillby's, slinking in without a word.

Rolling her eyes, Marinette walked in after him, her eyes immediately trailing over the akumas scattered around the room. They all seemed perfectly content, doing the things one would expect to do at a stereotypical bar/burger joint: drinking, talking, laughing, and, in some cases, crying.

At the bar stood a flaming akuma, and that was no exaggeration. The akuma was literally made of fire. And of course they were spiffily dressed in a bartender's uniform – suit and tie, with the addition of a pair of wire rim glasses. How the clothes didn't burn off the akuma's body, Marinette didn't know. Magic, probably.

The fire akuma was cleaning a glass with an old rag, standing stoically as Chat threw himself into one of the stools, sighing dramatically. His bell tinkled softly. "Pour me a cold one, Grillby. My woman has done left me for Prince Ali."

Grillby didn't have visible eyes, but Marinette got the impression that they were rolling them.

Walking up behind Chat, Marinette hit the back of his head and sat down next to him. "You're being ridiculous. And no one has left anybody."

Chat ignored Marinette. Grillby set down a glass of milk by Chat's hand, and Chat immediately sat up, grasping the class and downing it in one gulp. Marinette would be lying if she said she wasn't impressed.

"That's the good stuff," Chat sighed, setting the glass down and wiping off his milk mustache. He looked off into the distance, trailing his finger over the rim of his glass. "You know, I never thought I would see the day when my girl would pick Ali over me."

Grillby turned to Marinette. They shared a mutual look of _he's being dumb again._

"I just wish she would've warned me, you know? One second we were fine, and the next, she's nose-to-nose with Ali, all blushing and smiling, and I'm across the room wondering just what went wrong."

Marinette rolled her eyes, unable to take any of this seriously since she and Ali had been talking about _him._

"I didn't even get the chance to tell her," he paused, looking dramatically at the ceiling, "that her hair is just so glittery."

Marinette shoved him off his stool.

Grillby's flames danced playfully higher, which Marinette took as a sign of laughter.

Chat gave Marinette a shit-eating grin from the ground, and she tried (and failed) to hide the snort of laughter that bubbled up from her stomach.

"You are so ridiculous," she said, offering him her hand and pulling him up off the floor. "Ridiculous, and dramatic, and needy, and-"

He swiftly leaned in, his nose centimeters from hers. "Lovable?"

She grinned, putting her whole hand on his face and pushing him away. "Get out of my face, cat."

"What can I get you, bug?" he asked, leaning against the counter. Grillby flicked him in the forehead.

"I'll have a lemonade," she said, addressing Grillby and ignoring a slightly sizzling Chat. Grillby nodded, walking to the back and leaving Chat and Marinette alone for a moment.

"The burgers here are pretty good," Chat said after a moment, rubbing his forehead.

"Then I'll have that and some fries."

"We're going to have to share fries, though."

"And why's that?"

"For romantic reasons, obviously."

Marinette flicked him in the exact same place Grillby had.

"Fine, fine," Chat complained, rubbing his forehead once more. "I can't catch a break today, can I? The reason we have to share fries is because one order is enough to satisfy at least three akumas."

Grillby emerged from the back, carrying a tray piled high with fries and two small burgers. They set the tray on the counter, then grabbed two lemonade bottles from behind him without turning and set them in front of Chat and Marinette.

"Impressive," Marinette said, giving Grillby an appraising look. Their flames danced higher.

"Stop showing off," Chat muttered.

"As if you don't show off every moment of every day." Grillby touched the tip of their finger to the Chat's arm, leaving a sizzling hole in the leather. Marinette took that as _burn._ And of course, she wasn't at all distracted by the small amount of Chat's tan skin she was able to see through that hole.

Chat groaned, and, as he did so, Marinette couldn't help but notice that the hole in his bodysuit closed up, leaving her to wonder if she'd imagined it.

A ketchup bottle and a mustard bottle appeared out of thin air in front of them on the counter, and Marinette jumped, though no one else seemed affected. "Pass me the mustard," Chat said, already digging in to his burger.

Marinette tossed the bottle to Chat, and then picked up the ketchup bottle for herself. They ate in relative silence, letting the buzz of the diner come over them. Grillby had gone out from behind the counter to drift around and 'talk' to various people, which really just meant everyone was talking to them while they just listened.

Chat put down finished up his burger, wiping his hands off on an only slightly greasy napkin. "Sweetheart, I've got a question for you," he said, and Marinette paused, only halfway through with her burger.

"And what's that?" she asked after she had swallowed the bite she was on.

He picked up a fry and examined it. "It just seems that there was a part of my explanation of the Miraculous Stones that we both seemed to skip over." He picked up the mustard bottle and squeezed a thin line of mustard over the fry.

"Really?"

"Yes, really," he replied, popping the fry into his mouth a chewing thoughtfully. "You remember how I said that the original Miraculous holders passed the Stones down to their descendents? Well, now you have a Stone _and_ an Object, which I'm sure only happens once in a blue moon."

She took another bite of her burger, waiting for him to continue.

"So tell me, bug, are you a descendant of one of the Miraculous Stone holders?" he asked, and, although he asked it innocently, she got the feeling that he wouldn't like it if she said yes.

For the first time in a long time, Marinette thought about her family – her real family. Something in her heart made it hard to breathe.

"No, I'm not." That much she knew for sure.

"Then how do you have both of the Miraculous items?" There was an air of tension surrounding them, although both of them were acting casual as ever.

"Someone gave them to me."

"Who?"

"Someone who trusted me very much to do the right thing." She wasn't sure why she was keeping Tikki a secret, but for some reason, she didn't like the idea of Chat finding everything out. She didn't think he'd like it.

"Have you? Done the right thing, I mean."

Marinette thought back to their conversation in the Inn. "No. Not yet."

Grillby returned to the counter, holding out a fiery hand to Chat expectantly. Chat sighed, leaning back and rubbing his stomach. "Fantastic as always, Grillby. Could you maybe just consider this as an old friend visiting you?"

Their hand twitched, becoming slightly more persistent. Again Chat sighed. "Guess it's no good this time, either. Just put it on my tab." Grillby looked over at Marinette and they shared a mutual look of _he's such a mooch._

She watched as Grillby waved their hand and conjured a very long scroll that was covered in prices and was labeled 'Chat Noir.'

"I can't believe you," Marinette said as they left Grillby's, walking back out into the snow. She hadn't really noticed, but the heat of Grillby's flames had warmed her considerably, and now that they were outside, she felt the chill.

"Oh, don't worry. Grillby and I go way back." Marinette wrapped her arms around herself, letting out a sigh and watching her breath turn to mist. "So, bug, where to next?"

In truth, Marinette was tired of Snowdin. She was tired of the snow and the cold. "Is there anything up north worth seeing?" she asked, though she'd rather just leave immediately.

Chat shrugged. "Not especially. Just some houses, the ice factory, and the ferry stop. Other than that, there isn't much else."

"I promised Nino I'd hang out with him," she said, digging her boot into the snow.

"Then we should do that."

"And then we'll leave?" she asked, a little more hopefully than she expected.

He stared at her for a second then nodded. "Then we'll leave."

A newfound energy overcame her, probably because there was the promise of something other than stark white and more snow. Chat saw her eyes sparkle, and he felt himself melt into honey.

She started to walk, and then blinked, turning back to him. "What's with that face? And why aren't you walking?"

Something in his heart made him want to just grab her hand and never let go.

"Sorry, I just got distracted by how glittery your hair is."

She scooped up a snowball and threw it at his face.

He didn't manage to duck in time, so he stood there while Marinette laughed so hard, there were tears in her eyes. "Very funny," Chat said, wiping the snow off of his face, but he was already smiling.

"Yeah. Super funny," she said after she had caught her breath.

For a moment, they stared at each other, and they were melting like honey, but neither of them seemed to notice or care.

And then Chat grabbed her hand and they started walking, him swinging their hands back and forth.

"What's with the hand holding?"

"Romantic reasons obviously."

She shoved him hard with her shoulder. But she didn't let go of his hand.


	19. Chapter 18

Of course, the entire walk to Nino's, Marinette was hyper-aware of the fact that she was holding Chat's hand. She was starting to realize why she was hyper-aware of everything related to Chat – including his perfectly tousled hair, bright green eyes, and model-worth physique – but no way in hell was she willing to admit it out loud. Or at least, not in front of him.

"Me and Nino bought this cabin together after we knew each other a couple of weeks," Chat said, swinging their hands and pointing to homely wooden cabin with the blinking Christmas lights.

"A couple weeks?" Marinette asked, trying to ignore how well their hands fit together.

"Don't underestimate how well you can get to know a person in a few weeks. A lot happened, and we ended up trusting each other." Sure, his voice was casual, and Marinette wasn't going to press, but she got the feeling there was a whole lot more to the story.

When they reached the door of the cabin, Chat let go of Marinette's hand, unzipping one of his pockets and rummaging around until he pulled out an old looking key. "I have to do some stuff, okay?"

"How vague," Marinette said, crossing her arms and raising her eyebrows.

"I promise it won't be for long, I just have to check on some things. And you won't be alone."

"I'm not a kid."

"I know, sweetheart, but I also know you just can't stand being away from me." The worst part was that he was right. "Anyway, don't have too much fun with _meow_ t me."

"Leave immediately."

"Will do, bugaboo," he replied with a shit-eating grin that said he was quite satisfied with his terrible pun and the fact that he rhymed.

And then he bounded away, and Marinette rested her head against the door and breathed out a sigh. She'd really have to get her dumb feelings out of the way or else she might end up punching Chat in the face.

A knock sounded from the other side of the door. "Are you, um, done?" asked a very tentative voice that sounded very much like Nino's.

Marinette pulled away from the door, suddenly extremely embarrassed. "Yeah, sorry." Nino opened the door, looking a little sheepish. "Hey," Marinette greeted, very much aware that the last time she'd seen him, she was on the verge of collapsing because they had just finished fighting.

"I didn't mean to listen in," he said, moving aside so that she could go in, "I just heard Chat's voice and I planned on opening the door before you guys could knock, but then I didn't do that." He paused awkwardly, fiddling with the wire for his headphones. "Are you two…?"

"What? No! No, it's not like that."

Nino raised his eyebrows, closing the door behind them. "Are you sure? Because you two seemed awfully sweet with each other."

Marinette's face burned. "I-I don't know what you're talking about," she stuttered, knowing full well he didn't believe her even a little bit.

"Sure you don't," Nino replied a little condescendingly. "Anyway, the spaghetti should be ready, so I'll bring out a couple of bowls. How many meatballs do you want?"

"Does it matter?"

"Yeah."

"Two." He nodded and headed off to a doorway that she assumed led to the kitchen.

Now that she wasn't in danger of confronting her feelings, Marinette took a look around the house. She was currently standing in what looked like the living room, which was sparsely decorated with a slouching forest green couch, a stained coffee table, and, in one corner, a pile of patterned socks.

The cabin felt strangely lived in despite how clean it was (that is, excluding the sock pile), and Marinette felt herself start to love the old couch and stained table. She hadn't seen a real home in a while, and she knew she was only getting so attached to this one because of that, but she couldn't help but see the living room as perfect in every way.

Nino emerged from the kitchen, carrying a giant bowl and a little bowl, both filled with spaghetti. "I only served you a little bit," he said, handing her the smaller bowl, "because I figured Chat would've taken you to Grillby's after you woke up."

"You figured right," Marinette said, sitting down on the couch, which immediately sucked her in. Nino handed her a fork then plopped down next to her, the couch cushions releasing a puff of air. She shifted in place, trying to find the most comfortable position, but only managed to sink in further. "Um, Nino?"

"Yes?" With great difficulty, Marinette turned her head to look over at him, He looked perfectly content, perched on the cushions and already eating his spaghetti.

"I think your couch is trying to swallow me."

"Oh, sorry," he said, offering her a hand. "After years dealing with this thing, you learn where its sweet spots are." He pulled her out and motioned for her to scoot closer to him. When she did, the couch didn't try and consume her like it had before.

Marinette looked down at her bowl of spaghetti with two meatballs. "Years?" she asked, using her fork to stir the sauce around. "How long have you been in the Underground?"

Nino swallowed, twirling his fork around in the noodles. "Not as long as some of the other akumas here. I got turned a few years into the 20th century." He paused, and Marinette got the feeling she'd asked too personal of a question, but she didn't stop him when he continued. "When you first turn, it's like blacking out, or at least, that's how it was for me. By the time I came back to my senses, I was here and being taken care of by the Royal Guard."

They both stared at their bowls of spaghetti.

"What about…" Marinette trailed off, wondering if she should really be asking such personal questions, but her curiosity burned at her mouth. "What about Chat? He said you guys bought this cabin together."

For a moment, Nino stared at his spaghetti, and the he sighed, placing his giant bowl on the coffee table. "We did. I finished out my therapy with the Royal Guard, and they offered me a job. For a while, I lived by the palace, and then…" He trailed off.

"And then?" Marinette prompted.

Shaking his head, Nino stood up, taking both of their bowls even though he wasn't near finishing and Marinette hadn't even started. "If Chat hasn't told you about everything, then I shouldn't talk about it, either."

"Why not?" she asked, getting up from the couch and following him to the kitchen. "I mean, I'm not trying to convince you to tell me, but I want to know why you can't."

Nino scraped the spaghetti from the bowls in a big pot sitting on the stove. "I… can't remember everything that happened. That's part of the reason."

"And the other part?"

He walked over to the sink and started rinsing out the bowls. When he finished, he turned toward her, but he didn't look her in the eye. "Chat has been through a lot – mentally _and_ physically – and I don't think it's be fair to him if I tried to tell you everything he had to go through when it isn't even my place to do so." He paused, and he finally looked Marinette in the eye. "He'll tell you when he's ready."

Marinette nodded, staring at the sink. "The Miraculous Stones," her mouth blurted before she could stop it, her brain spinning a mile a second as a sudden thought occurred to her. "Did something bad happen to Chat because of the Stones?" It would make sense. If something had happened, then it would explain why he didn't seem happy in the Inn when he discovered she had them. It would explain why he had been so insistent on her not doing anything to help the akumas.

Nino's eyes flicked to her ears, and that was all the response she needed. "During our fight, I said I'd show you my music collection! Instead of talking about depressing things, let's listen to some music."

She was well aware that Nino would probably end up telling her all he knew if she pressed, but she had gotten the information she wanted and was satisfied. For now.

"Alright, sounds fun."

Chat sat back, twisting the ring around his right hand ring finger. He'd left Marinette with Nino so that Nino would apologize, and Chat had intended to go back to Grillby's for a while, but he ended up at the lab instead.

He hadn't felt any Jumps or Blips, not since a while back when he and Marinette had first arrived in Snowdin, so there was no real need to be back in the lab and staring at his old notes. There was no real need to worry.

But here he was, worrying his ass off.

There was a framed photo face down on his desk. He remembered exactly when he'd placed the frame that way.

Around and around he twisted the ring.

Nino's music collection, as it turned out, was a lot more thorough than Marinette expected it to be. In his bedroom, he had an entire shelf full of CDs, tapes, and records that he promised were all in working condition. There was a table with old-fashioned radios, record players, and even a laptop, all with high tech mechanical parts attached to them.

"I fixed these all up myself," Nino said, gesturing to the table. "Of course, I got some help from Chat and Sabrina-"

"Wait," Marinette interrupted, looking up from the 1909 authentic German bagpipe record she was holding. "I can understand Sabrina because she's the Royal Scientist, right? But Chat? He helped you with" – she gestured to the complex machinery – "all this?"

"Oh, yes, definitely!" Nino said, nodding enthusiastically. "You probably wouldn't see it at first glance, but Chat's a total science nerd. He gets really excited when I say I'm going out to the garbage dumps-"

" _What?"_

"- that's the place where all the things humans throw away end up. That's where I go looking for music. When I'm sad or not in the greatest mood, he always offers to take me over to the dumps, and then we listen to some music together."

Marinette stared at Nino's shelf of music. There were all kinds of genres: classical, rap, pop, rock, techno – he had it all. "What type is your favorite?"

He leaned against the table, tracing circles on the wood. "I don't really have a favorite type," he said after a moment of thinking. "I like all types, really."

"Even this?" Marinette asked, holding up the bagpipe record.

"Even that." Nino walked over to stand next to her, placing his hands on his hips. "I just really like the idea that someone put so much effort into creating something for other people to enjoy."

"I guess that makes sense," she said, thinking of bakeries and childish dreams of rippling fabrics and sewing needles. She put the bagpipe record back in its place.

Nino trailed his finger over the spines of the CD cases until he found one CD case in particular and pulled it out from its place on the shelf. "I don't know if you've met him yet, but a while back, a ghost boy named Nathanael helped me make a CD with all my favorite songs."

"I've met him," she said, thinking back to what seemed like so long ago when he had fake snored and then proceeded to cry during their 'fight' for seemingly no reason at all. She remembered his ghostly fingers, which felt like a summer breeze. "He's sweet."

"The sweetest," Nino said, nodding and turning to the CD case around. The front cover had a piece of paper taped to it with the words 'Nino's Favs' scrawled on it in blue ink. "You up for listening to my favorites?"

"Definitely."

And so Nino put the CD (it had a small doodle of a ghost wearing headphones in it) into the radio. They ended up lying down on a plush rug in the middle of the bedroom, their bodies pointing opposite directions, but their heads right next to each other.

After a while of saying nothing and just listening to the music, Nino spoke up, turning his head to look at Marinette. "Do you like him? Chat, I mean."

"Of course I like him," Marinette responded. A slow and soft song started to play. "If I didn't like him, I wouldn't have let him 'guide' me around." She didn't look at him, instead choosing to stare at the ceiling.

"That's not what I meant, and you know it."

Marinette closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "Yeah. Sorry." The song sounded like a lullaby, sweet and soft, and she had no doubt it was a love song, even though she couldn't understand a word of it.

"Do you love him?"

"I won't say."

"Why not?"

She opened her eyes and turned her head to look at him. "Saying it out loud makes it real."

"It's real even if you never say it."

"You're right."

The song changed to an upbeat techno song with a loud bass line and a melody for dancing. Neither of them moved.

"Are you scared?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "I don't know."

Another silence passed between them, and it felt comfortable and nice. She thought about the music and her ridiculous feelings for a ridiculous boy.

"When did you realize?" Nino asked.

"He got up in my face about something," she said, her hand drifting up to her ear. "And suddenly all I could think about was how nice he looked." Her fingers traced around the circle of her earring. "And he always makes these dumb jokes, and I started to like the way he called me sweetheart."

Nino laughed, and Marinette felt a small smile tug at her lips. "Sounds like you're in deep."

"Don't remind me."

"I can't blame you, though," he said, sighing a little. "He's… dazzling. He's got the lazy smiles and sparkling eyes down to an art." Marinette raised her eyebrow at him, asking a question she didn't need to voice out loud. "Not anymore, but I had it bad when I first met him."

"How'd you get over it?" Maybe she could learn some information on how to make herself normal again, when his smiles and thoughtless touches didn't mean anything to her.

A long silence followed, in which Nino tried to figure out how to answer. "I think I realized it was hopeless for me. And then I slowly started liking someone else."

"Who?"

She saw his cheeks redden. "Doesn't matter."

"Oh, really?"

He cleared his throat. "Look, the point is, I didn't really realize I was over it until I was so over it there was no chance of going back." Marinette realized they were referring to a person as _it_ because saying his name for some reason made it a whole lot more real that they wanted it to be. "And I don't think you'll even _have_ to get over it."

"What? Why not?"

"Because he calls you sweetheart and holds your hand. Not to mention he's wearing your bell around his neck." A loud cymbal crash sounded from the radio as if to punctuate Nino's words.

"H-how did you know I gave him the bell?" Marinette spluttered, her cheeks burning.

"I didn't until now."

"Nino!" He laughed, and she tried to regain her composure. "A-and I know he doesn't mean anything when he calls me names or holds my hand," she said, well aware that her blush had crawled down her neck as she crossed her arms.

"Uh huh, sure. Next thing you know, you two will be kissing and you'll still be insisting he doesn't mean anything behind it."

Marinette's mouth dropped open, and her face reached a whole new shade of red. She suddenly couldn't get Chat's lips out of her mind and how soft they might feel and how her hands would feel in his hair.

"Hey, Marinette?" Nino said, breaking the silence Marinette had created with her fantasies. "I'm really sorry."

"You should be," she said, finally pulling herself back to reality. "Saying things that'll get me all-"

"Not for that," he said, rolling his eyes.

She blinked. "Then for what?"

"Almost killing you."

"Oh." She paused, wondering why he was thinking of that right now. "Well, no hard feelings. I actually enjoyed dueling you. You know, even though I was extremely close to death."

He snorted, and she grinned, turning her head to face him. "Are you always this forgiving when someone almost kills you?" he asked, turning to face her, too.

"How else am I supposed to make friends?"

"That's not funny," he said, starting to laugh.

"It's really not," she said, her smile wide and her laugh loud.

And they were right, it _wasn't_ funny, it fact, it was a little sad, but for some reason, it was the most hilarious thing they'd heard all day. They were laughing so hard, their stomachs hurt and tears gathered in their eyes.

That's how Chat found them – rolling around on Nino's rug, the music blaring some classical song while they laughed so hard they couldn't breathe.

"What did I miss?" he asked as both Nino and Marinette tried to get a hold of themselves. "Where you guys talking about me?"

Nino looked at Marinette, wiggling his eyebrows at her. Marinette wiggled her eyebrows back and then turned to Chat with a giant grin on her face. "Only a little bit."

Chat thought that leaving them alone together probably wasn't the best decision he could've made.

"Well," Nino said, standing up and offering Marinette a hand, "it looks like the problem itself has come to pick you up." Her cheeks turned a bright red. "So the party's over."

"We're never talking about this in front of anyone ever again," Marinette said.

"Agreed." They shook hands. Chat was absolutely certain that leaving them alone had been a bad idea. "Oh, and if you ever need to talk to me," he paused, hurrying over to the table with all the music players on it and scribbling something on a notepad, "here's my phone number." He tore out the paper and handed it to her.

"Oh, thanks!" She pulled out her yo-yo, opening up the storage compartment and dropped the paper inside. "I'll call you later so that you'll have my number, too."

"It was nice hanging out with you, Marinette. Let's do it again sometime."

Marinette smiled, nodding her head. "Yeah. Let's."

As Chat and Marinette walked out of the cabin, Nino waving behind them, Chat cleared his throat. "Did you have fun?"

She waved back at Nino before turning back to Chat, giving him a look. "You sound like an awkward parent."

"It was a genuine question!"

They walked away from the cabin and passed the place where Nino and Marinette had fought. "I had fun," she said, kicking at the snow.

"What did you two talk about anyway?" For half a second, Marinette froze, but then she continued walking, leaving Chat to wonder if he had imagined it.

"None of your business."

"So your undying love for me?" he teased, and she snorted.

"Yeah, exactly that."

The snow covering the path started to become less thick, and then the ground underneath the snow could be seen. It was a deep blue, and two walls enclosed the path and river beside the path, which Marinette guessed she didn't notice before since it had been frozen over in Snowdin.

Something glittered on the ground, and Marinette stopped, bending down to examine it. "Is that… a gemstone?"

Chat stopped walking. "Yup. Remember back at the cave when I said there was a place even prettier?"

Marinette touched her finger to the stone, then stood up straight, looking around and discovering more gemstones pressed into the purple walls. "Is this it?"

"This is only the beginning," Chat responded, looping his arm through hers. He led her on the path, and, just before they reached the next area, the river made a sharp turn, another purple wall littered with gemstones taking its place.

In the next area, a little girl that Marinette vaguely recognized stood near a light blue flower, talking softly into it. Beside the flower was a sparkling save point. _Haven't seen one of those in a while,_ Marinette thought, taking her arm away from Chat and walking over to the save point.

"Sweetheart? What are you-"

She touched her finger to the save point before he could finish.

 _ **The sound of rushing water fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Marinette pressed the 'yes' button, and then looked over at Chat, who still looked frozen. "Thought I saw something."

"Like what?"

Before she could even give a half-hearted shrug, the little girl that Marinette had noticed earlier bounded over to her. "Hey! Are you sneaking out to see her, too?"

"Manon!" Chat said, running over and picking her up, holding her in front of him. "What are you doing out here?"

The girl, who Marinette now realized to be one of the akumas that Chat had been talking to earlier in Snowdin, kicked at Chat's stomach. "What are _you_ doing out here?" She kicked Chat hard, and his grip on her loosened enough so that she could twist away, landing on her feet.

"Your parents," Chat wheezed, but Manon ignored him, turning to Marinette.

"Awesome… She's the coolest, right?"

"Right," Marinette said, not knowing at all whom they were talking about.

"I want to be just like her when I grow up," she said, sighing dreamily. "But don't tell my parents I'm here, okay? Ha ha."

"Manon," Chat said, finally recovering from her kick straight to the ribs, "you really need to go home."

"No." She took Marinette's hand, leading her over to the bright blue flower she'd been talking to earlier. "Hey, check out this flower."

"It's pretty cool."

"Don't encourage her," Chat said, but neither of them payed attention to him.

"It's called an Echo Flower. It repeats the last thing it heard, over and over again. See?" The flower shuttered, and then repeated what Manon said in an exactly replica of her voice.

"That's really cool," Marinette said, and the flower said 'that's really cool' over and over again.

"Really, Manon," Chat said, walking over and putting a hand on Manon's shoulder. "I think you should go home."

Manon's shoulders sunk, and Marinette glared at Chat. He just shook his head. "Fine, party-pooper," she said, pushing Chat's hand off her shoulder. "I'll go home."

Just before she left the area, she turned back to Marinette, giving her a wink.

Chat sighed heavily. "That girl never does what she's told."

"We could've helped her see whoever it was she wanted to see, and then she would've been satisfied," Marinette said, crossing her arms.

He gave her a pained look. "It's not that simple, bug."

"Whatever." She didn't say that the chances of Manon going home were absolutely zero. "Let's just go."

They walked to the next area, and Marinette saw a very familiar box sitting on the path, which was cut off by a large rushing waterfall. She already knew what she would find if she looked inside, so she turned away from it, noticing a wooden path branching off from the center path, either side of it a black pit of nothing-ness.

"Don't you want to look in the box?" Chat asked as Marinette started to walk towards the wooden planks.

"Nope."

"You sure? I smell something really good coming from it."

"Don't want it."

Chat raised an eyebrow, but he followed her nonetheless.

The wooden path, as it turned out, was a dead end leading to an Echo Flower. Marinette motioned for Chat to stay quiet, then touched a bright blue petal. The flower shivered, then spoke in a soft voice.

" _I swore I saw something… Behind that rushing water…"_

Marinette looked over at the waterfall. She started to walk back up the path. "What are you doing?" Chat whispered, trailing after her. "That's a big creepy no-no. We should not go anywhere near the waterfall."

She peered into the water, catching sight of something black and shiny. "There really is something here."

"Cool, now let's go."

"I think…" She leaned closer, her face getting sprinkled with water. "I think it's a camera." A creepy feeling settled in her stomach, and she remembered back when Chat had left her and she had seen a camera attached to a rock. "L-let's go."

"Great idea."

They continued up to the original path, where they had to step into the water. Chat tripped on a rock, and an opening appeared in the water. Marinette looked into the opening. "It's a cave."

"How about we ignore it?"

She walked into the cave, which only lead to a small room with nothing inside it except for a couple of glowing mushrooms and a battered pink skirt.

"Why is this waterfall so creepy?" Chat asked, his ears flattened against his head.

Marinette picked up the skirt, feeling the fabric in her hands. "I'm going to take this."

"Why?"

She shrugged. "I like it. The fabric is nice."

Chat's eye twitched. "Why are you so unaffected by creepy things?"

"The camera creeped me out," she said with a shrug, and then walked out of the cave, her boots sloshing in the water. Chat ran after her, and as soon as both of them were out of the cave, the opening closed up.

"We're leaving now," Chat said, his ears still against his head.

"Agreed."

The air turned cold, and tall plant bushes covered the path. "I don't like this," Chat whispered, his ears perking up, and he instinctively started to walk with a slight crouch. His ear twitched. "The bushes!" he whispered, tugging Marinette forward.

They ran into the cover of the bushes, and Marinette heard the clanking of armor above them. She looked up, and her a shiver ran down her back. Standing on the ledge the wall made was a person, clad entirely in armor.

She grabbed Chat's hand, and he gave her a reassuring squeeze.

As they watched, a figure both of them recognized a little too well approached the person in armor. "H-hey, Alya," Nino said, fiddling with his headphone wire. "I'm here with my daily report… Um, about that human I called you about earlier…"

Marinette felt her stomach turn. The person in armor turned to Nino and said something she couldn't quite make out.

"Huh? Did I fight them?" Nino nodded enthusiastically. "Yes, I did. I fought them really-" He stopped, and Marinette saw his face fall when the person said something else. "I… didn't capture them. I tried very hard, Alya, but I… I failed."

A wave of anger flooded from the person in armor, and Marinette started to shake.

"W-what?" Nino stuttered, taking a step back. "You're going to take the human's soul yourself? B-but Alya, you don't have to destroy them! You see…" He trailed off. "You see," he tried again, but nothing came out of his mouth.

The person in armor turned to Nino, taking a step forward. Nino stumbled back, fear plainly written on his face.

"I… I understand. I'll help you in any way I can." Nino walked away.

Marinette turned to Chat, her heart beating out of her chest. He shook his head, but just as he did so, his tail brushed against one of the plants, which rustled loudly.

Both of their heads shot up to wear the person in armor stood.

The person in armor was holding a long glowing spear, and they were looking directly at Marinette.


	20. Chapter 19

Fear gripped at Marinette's throat. Chat's hand squeezed hers to the point of pain, but she couldn't bring herself to look at him; she was paralyzed.

A strange feeling pulled at her gut, and she felt a prickle at the back of her neck. The hairs on her arms stood straight up with static electricity. She could've been imagining it (who knows what the mind does when someone is _scared out of their freaking mind),_ but she thought she saw a dark and shimmery cloud block her vision just enough to make the person in armor seem blurry and far away.

The person's head moved slowly from left to right, their eyes leaving Marinette as if she had suddenly just disappeared. And then they stepped back, dissolving into the shadows, leaving only the faint impression of their glowing eyes.

Chat's grip on her hand loosened, and the shadowy cloud dissipated. "This is bad," he said, his voice low and very close to a growl, "very, very bad."

Marinette stared at the place the person in armor had been, her eyes wide and her mouth just a bit open. "I'm going to be killed," she said, her voice a weak whisper.

"No, you're not," Chat replied, bringing a hand up to her cheek and forcing her to look at him. "I won't let that happen."

"Y-you don't understand! I've already-" She stopped herself, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked down at the ground. Maybe saying that she's already died multiple times isn't the greatest idea.

"You've already what?"

"Already, um, caught their attention, r-right?" Marinette stuttered, her brain working in overdrive to come up with anything except how she's already died. "And I get the feeling that this – this _being_ isn't the type to give up easily, so…" She trailed off, biting her lip. "I'm going to get killed."

Sure, what with the save points and not being able to really truly die, there was no real need to be afraid because Marinette could always spring back to life with no visible injuries. But dying can take its toll.

"You aren't going to die," Chat said, his voice strangely vehement. He had a fierce look on his face, and Marinette sucked in a breath. "I'm not letting that happen."

What was she supposed to say to that?

"Cloud," Marinette blurted, her mouth eager to make her look stupid as a thought occurred to her.

"What?"

"Um, when that person was there and they were looking at me, I felt something strange. And I saw a cloud, dark and kind of misty, and then they stopped looking at us. Did you see it, too?"

He suddenly looked just the tiniest bit uncomfortable, his eyes darting to a plant stem next to him before looking at her again. He shrugged. "Yeah, I saw it."

"What was it?"

"Black cats' luck," he said, giving her a slightly unsure grin.

"Black cats aren't supposed to be lucky," she replied, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him.

"Then ladybugs' luck," he said, gesturing to her sweater. "Ladybugs are lucky."

"I'm not a ladybug."

"And I'm not a black cat, bug," he said (rather sarcastically), standing up and offering her a hand. She took it, and he pulled her up, not letting go of her hand when she was standing. "I think we both know that someone has to talk to Nino," he said, squeezing her hand.

She shivered. "Yeah."

"I'm going back to Snowdin to go and talk some sense into him."

 _You're leaving me?_ she thought, but she couldn't bring herself to say it. "Oh."

"I promise I'll come back to you as soon as I'm done."

"I know." She was scared to go ahead alone, but she tried to keep that to herself.

He lifted her hand up to his lips, but he didn't kiss it like she expected him to. He stared at her for a moment, his eyebrows furrowing, and then he dropped her hand, wrapping her in a hug.

"Please stay safe, Marinette," he whispered, holding her tight to him.

After a moment of shock, Marinette hugged him back, pressing her face to the leather of his suit. "I will."

She thought she felt a small pressure on the top of her head as Chat gave her one last squeeze, but it was gone as quick as she felt it. And then he let go, holding her at arms' length. "I'll be back soon."

"I know."

"Don't get into any trouble."

"I'm not a kid."

"And I'm not kidding."

"Is that a pun?"

"Kind of." She grinned, and he started to smile, but he stopped himself, setting his face into an almost comical stern expression. "But it's a serious pun. I'm being serious."

"Hi, being serious, I'm Marinette."

He looked at her like she had placed the stars in the sky. Then he brought her in for a hug again, pressing his cheek into the top of her head. "Please, please, _please_ stay safe," he whispered.

"I already said I will," she whispered back, her heart hurting just the tiniest bit.

"I know, I just want you to understand that I don't want you getting hurt."

"I'll be fine," she promised, wondering if she was telling the truth. Knowing her luck, probably not.

He finally pulled away, squeezing her shoulders before letting go. "Okay, I'm going." He took a step back but he didn't turn around. "Don't get into any fights." Another step back.

"I can't help that."

"Stay out of trouble." Another step back.

"As best as I can."

"Don't talk to strangers." Another step back.

"Leave already, dumb cat." He took another step back, grinning at her, before he finally turned around and bounded off. Marinette smiled to herself, a warm fuzzy feeling tickling her insides.

"Is he gone yet?"

Marinette nearly jumped out of her skin. "What the-" She stopped, clutching her chest and trying to gain control of her outrageous fear as she stared down at Manon. "Don't scare me like that!"

"I thought he'd never leave," Manon said, completely ignorant to just how badly she'd scared Marinette. "You know, I didn't think I'd ever get to see the day that meanie is sweet on somebody," she said, taking Marinette's hand and guiding her out of the tall plants and back onto the clear path.

"W-what is that supposed to mean?"

Manon looked completely uninterested. "Eh, not my business." In about half a second, her whole demeanor changed, and she visibly brightened. "But anyway, did you see the way she was staring at you?"

"The person in armor?"

"Yeah, who else? That," Manon paused, practically vibrating with excitement, "was _awesome!"_ Marinette did not at all think it was awesome, but she was not one to dampen kids' dreams. "I'm _so_ jealous!"

"Ha, right," Marinette said, trying her best to make it seem like the entire experience did not make her want to vomit out of pure fear.

"What did you do to get her attention?"

 _Oh, nothing much. Just the fact that I'm a human and possess a Miraculous, which makes me the perfect bounty to, you know, murder._

"I'm not sure, Manon. Maybe next time she'll look at you." Hopefully there wouldn't be a next time, but she didn't say that.

Manon jumped up and down, her expression showing pure excitement. "Come one! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!" She bounded off, tripping a bit on her own feet, but continued as if she didn't even notice.

"Wait, Manon!" Marinette called, but to no avail. Manon had already sprinted on ahead and out of sight. She sighed, pulling out her yo-yo. Even though Nino was looking like a complete traitor, she knew that he must've had his reasons to agree to help kill her. He deserved a warning before Chat knocked down his door.

She pressed the middle dot, and a phone icon blinked at her for a couple of seconds before the yo-yo opened up to reveal a phone screen and a small keypad. The screen showed her recent calls, and a small jab of pain hit her chest when she saw Tikki's name.

But there was no use in wallowing in her emotions right now.

So, she pressed some buttons until she reached the 'call new' option, and then the storage compartment slid open without her even needing to open it. She pulled out Nino's number and typed it in, then pressed the phone button.

"Hello?" said Nino's tinny voice through the phone.

"Nino, it's me," she said, pressing the phone to her ear.

"Oh, hey, Marinette! What's up?"

"Chat and I may have overheard your conversation with, um, Alya, was it? Anyway, Chat is on his way over and I don't think he'll be very nice about it."

"You weren't supposed to hear that."

"I know."

There was a pause, and Nino sighed. "Thanks for the warning, Marinette. I promise it wasn't what it sounded like."

"You mean like she wanted to kill me very badly and you were going to help her?" she said, unable to keep her mouth shut.

"Okay, so it was a little bit what it sounded like, but I promise I won't let her hurt you."

"It's alright, how else am I supposed to make friends?" Earlier the question sent the two in a fit of laughter, but now it just hung between them, and something heavy settled in the pit of Marinette's stomach.

"I think I see Chat outside" – _how the hell did he get over there so fast? –_ "so I better go. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Alright." Nino hung up, and Marinette brought the phone down, taking a deep breath. She closed the yo-yo with a snap, and then returned it to her pocket, her hands shaking just a little bit.

Something gold twinkled at her from the ground, and she breathed a slight sigh of relief. She'd need a save point now more than ever. She touched the tip of her finger to it.

 _ **A feeling of dread hangs over you…**_

 _ **But you stay determined.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Never before had a save message resonated with her so deeply. She looked around at the now black and white area around her. Somehow, it seemed even creepier. She pressed the 'yes' button.

Before more of her nerves could get to her, she walked to the next area. On the wall was a sign written in blocky letters.

 _ **When four Bridge Seeds align in the water, they will sprout.**_

Obviously the only reason for the sign to be there would be if there were four Bridge Seeds around. And as Marinette walked forward, she found the four seeds hidden in a little alcove.

The seeds were big, and the stood vertically on small patches of leaves. She picked on seed up, picking up a hand full of leaves along with it. _Okay, so I have a Bridge Seed. But why-_

Up ahead, a small waterfall cut through the path with just enough water space to let four Bridge Seeds align.

Right.

Marinette placed the seed she was holding into the water, and it drifted to the other side, connecting to the other part of the path. She brought over the other seeds one by one, setting each into the water until they aligned, sprouting into very large and pink Bridge Flowers.

She tentatively stepped onto the first flower. It rocked just the slightest in the water, and it seemed sturdy enough, but she wasn't about to take the risk to just simply walk on them. So she sprinted on them. And she made it to the other side without falling into the water.

As she walked further, she thought about the pink skirt she had picked up in that old cave. She certainly wouldn't wear it now (it would clash just the slightest with her current outfit), but it _was_ worth thinking about. Why had it been in that cave?

Before she could even try and concoct any theories, her heart emerged from her chest and she was looking at a very… _smug_ looking akuma in front of her. Apparently its name was Aaron.

He was half horse with a mermaid-like tail, and he had biceps and too many abs to count. Marinette immediately didn't want anything to do with him.

"Um, could we _not_ do this? As in, could you go away?" Marinette asked, glancing down at her heart. It seemed to agree wholeheartedly with her, flicking back and forth somewhat irritably.

Aaron flexed, admiring his biceps before looking at her. "Feisty, huh?" he asked, giving her that smug smile and Marinette immediately wanted to vomit. A torrent of white sweat droplets flooded off of Aaron's body, and Marinette easily avoided them, digging into her pocket to find that the yo-yo was beeping incessantly at her.

And, as always, it bestowed its knowledge in a single statement that made little to no sense. _'Flex.'_

Marinette looked down at her arms, which were covered by her sweater, and wondered if she could really pull that off. She looked at her heart, and it pulsed softly, as if encouraging her to get it over with.

"Great," Marinette muttered, pulling off her sweater and tying it around her waist, more than a little thankful that she hadn't taken off the tank top she'd been wearing since her fall, ratty as it was. "You distract all the white things, and I'll get rid of him," she said to her heart, and then it zoomed off, leading disembodied bulging biceps (which Aaron had summoned around him while admiring his muscles) away from her.

"Take it _all_ off," Aaron said, and Marinette swore she felt bile rise in her throat.

"Nope, sorry," she said, though she wasn't sorry at all. "How about I do this instead?" she asked, flexing her bicep. Sure, it wasn't the most toned bicep ever, but it was a bit more than she'd been expecting, which was good enough for her.

"Flexing contest? Okay, flex more," Aaron said with a wink, and he flexed twice as hard as Marinette.

As much as she didn't want to do anything he said, her magical yo-yo said to flex, so that's what she intended to do. She brought up her other arm and flexed both biceps at the same time. It probably wasn't that impressive, but Aaron seemed to feel challenged enough to flex back.

"Nice! I won't lose, though." Marinette was sure he wouldn't, but she just nodded along.

And then she wasn't looking at Aaron anymore; she was zooming in between white disembodied flexing arms and sweat droplets. She'd had this type of experience once before, but it was a little strange to happen again. She was her heart.

She looked around and saw that a sweat droplet was headed straight for her.

"Left!" Marinette shouted, finding herself back in her body. "Go left!" Her heart followed her instructions without hesitation and ended up ramming straight into a disembodied arm.

Pain pierced Marinette's chest, but she was cursing so fiercely, she barely even felt it.

"You curse like a sailor, huh?" Aaron said, winking at her.

"Shut up, Aaron!" Marinette shouted, whirling around to look at her heart, which had recovered quickly from its hit and was now darting in between clusters of white sweat droplets, though its glow had dimmed a bit. "I'm sorry, that was totally my fault!" she called to her heart. It seemed to pointedly ignore her.

"Are we going to resume our flexing contest?" Aaron asked.

As much as Marinette wanted to shout at him to shut up again, she really wanted him to go away and apparently flexing was the only way to do that. However, she'd run out of arm muscles to flex.

She made a display of putting out her leg, flexing it and proudly showing it off. Sure, her upper body left some things to be desired, but walking practically nonstop, not to mention her fight with Nino were she had had to jump constantly, had toned her already very nice legs (if she does say so herself) to an even nicer quality. Even if they were very sore.

Aaron flexed very hard, so hard his face turned red, but he seemed to understand that he had been beat. He flexed himself out of the room.

Marinette's heart drifted back over to her, taking its sweet time. "I really am sorry, you know. I didn't see that an arm was there." Her heart returned to her chest, its warm feeling somewhat dulled (probably from anger).

Sighing, Marinette stuffed her yo-yo back into her pocket, and then upon noticing all the coins Aaron had left behind, pulled it out of her pocket once more. When all the coins were in her yo-yo and she had returned it to her pocket, she finally looked up to survey her surroundings.

There was a lot of water, a couple of glowing mushrooms, four Bridge Seeds, a sign, and a large yellow bell on the wall. She smelled a puzzle in the air.

She walked over to the sign, which read in the same blocky letters as before:

 _ **If an error is made, the Bell Blossom can call Bridge Seeds back to where they started.**_

Definitely a puzzle in the air.

"Nino, I don't care that it wasn't exactly what it sounded like, it sounded pretty bad to me," Chat said, his voice low and growl-like. It was times like this when he really did remind Nino of a feral cat.

"You don't understand, Alya is-"

"I don't care what Alya is!" Chat yelled, his fist banging on the wall beside him, splintering the wood just a little bit. "You told me you'd make her understand. It didn't sound like she understood."

Nino had long since gotten used to Chat's angry tendencies to punch unimportant things, so he carefully took Chat's fist off the wall. "Chat," Nino started, his voice smooth and bringing Chat's anger down, "I'm not betraying Marinette. I know how much she means to you, and she's become a friend of mine. I'm not letting her get hurt."

Chat took a deep breath, his hands clenching into fists, but he kept them at his side. "Then why _the hell_ did you tell Alya that you'd help her?"

"Alya is my friend," Nino reminded him, careful to keep his tone even. "And so is Marinette. I know that if they meet and are able to see how each other really are, then Marinette won't be so scared and Alya won't be tempted to murder."

Now that he had calmed down considerably, Nino's words were starting to sink in, and Chat's hands started to shake. He plopped down on the couch, running a shaky hand through his hair. "How do you know? How do you know that'll happen?"

Nino sat down next to him, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Have you seen Marinette? She can do anything, including make friends with someone as stubborn as Alya."

"I can't…" Chat trailed off, deciding that maybe telling Nino that he can't watch Marinette die _again_ wouldn't be the best idea. "Marinette is convinced she'll be killed."

"Once Alya sees how _good_ Marinette is, she won't want to kill her. Alya has morals, you know." Nino paused, squeezing Chat's shoulder. "I… I know this is a bad situation, _really bad,_ but I trust them."

Chat knew the next question before Nino even asked it.

"Do you?"

"Of course, I do."

"There!" Marinette said, placing her hands on her hips and grinning at her puzzle-solving skills. Sure, the puzzle had taken more than a few attempts to get right, but she had gotten it.

She sprinted across the Bridge Seeds, still not trusting them enough to actually walk across them, and found herself on the other side of the water that had been blocking the path.

Just as she was about to enter the next area (through an ominous looking doorway), her yo-yo rang. She pulled it out of her pocket, pressing the blinking phone icon and letting it flip open in her hands before she put it up to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Marinette, it's me," said Nino's voice, sounding more than a little tired.

"Oh." Marinette stopped walking. "How'd it go with Chat? He wasn't too hard on you, was he?"

Nino sighed, a rush of static blowing through the phone. "I've dealt with him when he's angry before, so it wasn't a big deal. Sort of. I've made him a cup of calming tea so he can get his head fully back on his shoulders, so he's chilling in the kitchen."

Marinette hadn't really seen Chat angry, aside from the low growl of a voice he'd used earlier, but that was more like a subdued anger. Like he was trying not to scare her. And she sort of wondered how Nino had calmed him down. The thought of mother bird Nino sweetly asking Chat if he'd like a cup of 'calming tea' made her smile.

"That's good. I'm glad he isn't mad at you."

There was a pause on Nino's end. "Are… Are _you_ mad at me?" he asked tentatively.

"I…" Marinette trailed off, looking down at the ground and furrowing her eyebrows. "I'm scared. I don't know about mad." She paused, looking up at the ominous doorway she'd have to go through eventually. "By the looks of it, this Alya person is pretty intimidating, and I'm not going to blame you for giving in to that."

"Don't get me wrong, she _is_ intimidating, but that isn't why I gave in."

"What?"

"It's because she's _stupidly_ stubborn. I can never reason with her unless she sees it for herself." Marinette didn't think she was imagining it when she heard awe in his voice. "So I want you two to meet."

" _What?"_

"No, no, don't get all scared," Nino said, sounding desperate to keep her calm. "I promise it's a good idea."

"Since _when?"_ Marinette demanded, her voice a couple of octaves higher than she meant it to be. "This person wants to kill me, and you want us to meet and laugh together like old friends? What are we going to do, have a cup of _calming tea_ together?"

"It sounds like you need some calming tea," Nino muttered under his breath, but Marinette heard it loud and clear. "I know Alya, Marinette. Once she sees who you really are, she won't want to, um, fight you."

"You mean kill me."

"That too."

Marinette took a deep breath, calming herself down (without the use of tea). "Alya is very scary," she said, her voice even and as calm as she could get it. "She's got a giant spear."

"Both of those are true."

"She could easily kill me."

"Um, yes, but-"

"And I'm going to try and make friends with her," Marinette said. Even the thought of it made her stomach drop. "I swear, Nino, I will blame you entirely if things go to shit." Not true, but it still made her a little bit better saying it.

"I promise it'll go well."

"Let's hope you're right." And then she hung up before he could get another word in.

She had a very strong feeling that making friends with Alya wouldn't be as easy as making friends with Nino, but she set her jaw and walked through the ominous doorway as though she were going to meet Alya herself on the other side.

But she didn't meet Alya on the other side, instead a dark hallway with a few Echo flowers scattered around greeted her.

As she started to walk towards the first Echo flower, which was right next to a sign on the wall labeling the hallway as 'The Wishing Room,' she could already hear the flower start to whisper.

" _A long time ago, akumas would whisper their wishes to the stares in the sky. If you_ ' _hoped with all your heart, your wish would come true. Now, all we have are these sparkling stones on the ceiling…"_

The flower repeated the words over and over as Marinette looked up at the ceiling, her eyes trailing over the glittering and perfectly white stones. Out of all the things she missed from above ground, it must've been the stars she missed the most.

She moved on to the next Echo flower.

" _Thousands of people wishing together can't be wrong! The king will prove that."_

Echo flowers, it seemed, could mimic voices perfectly, but couldn't echo above a whisper. The Wishing Room was filled with the whispers of wishes akumas had made.

And apparently an akuma that wanted to fight her named Woshua.

Not wanting to disturb the Echo flowers around her, Marinette remained silent as her heart seeped out of her chest. She gave it a _I hope you're not still mad at me_ look. It made a shrugging gesture that Marinette took as a sign that she was forgiven.

She looked back up at the Woshua, who looked like a kind enough sort of akuma, what with its awkward build and the water tank carrying a rubber ducky on its back.

In her pocket, her yo-yo beeped, and Marinette pulled out the slip of paper without even bothering to take out the whole device. It wasn't like she'd use in the fight, anyway. The slip of paper only had one word on it: _'Clean.'_

Instead of saying anything, Marinette just walked up to the Woshua and showed it the paper. It seemed to understand, hopping around a little excitedly. "Green means clean!" it whispered, just quietly enough for Marinette to be certain the Echo flowers didn't pick it up.

The Woshua sprayed white water droplets out from its tank, and Marinette tugged her heart away from trying to touch an extremely unattainable green droplet, but in the process managed to get her arm hit by a white droplet.

Without her sweater to cover her up (what with it still wrapped around her waist from the flexing competition), the droplet running across her skin hurt more than it should've. She hissed softly in pain, glancing down at her arm, already seeing the skin where the droplet had touched it turn red and start to blister like a burn mark.

The Woshua seemed happy enough, and the name floating above its head had already turned yellow. So it seemed it was just looking to try and clean some things. Marinette waved it goodbye, and it hopped off happily, its water tank duck quacking softly.

Now that the Woshua had gone, Marinette resumed listening to the Echo flowers.

" _C'mon, sis! Make a wish!"_

There was an Echo flower directly next to it that had heard the sister's response.

" _I wish my sister and I can see the real stars someday…"_

There was a telescope at the very end of the hallway, and Marinette looked through it, expecting to take a closer look at the glittering stones on the ceiling. Instead she found that the telescope's lens had something written on it.

She steered the telescope around, searching for a surface light enough to show the black writing on the lens. She finally found a surface light enough on the ceiling – on one of the largest stones. _'Check the wall.'_ Followed by an arrow pointing directly ahead.

Marinette pulled away from the telescope, looking up at the path that jutted out from the hallway, which was a dead end, apparently. The wall that it led to was bare and very suspicious looking.

When she walked over to it, she placed her hand on the rough surface, and it immediately caved in, crumbling to dust. "Convenient," she muttered, stepping through the now opened doorway.

It lead to a deck-like area, the sounds of water gurgling providing excellent white noise. There were signs all along one wall, the blocky text glowing just the slightest.

Marinette walked along the wall to read the signs.

 _ **The War of Humans and Akumas**_

 _ **Why did the humans attack?**_

 _ **Indeed, it seemed that they had nothing to fear.**_

 _ **Humans are unbelievably strong.**_

 _ **It would take the SOUL of nearly every akuma…**_

 _ **Just to equal the power of a single human SOUL.**_

 _ **But humans have one weakness.**_

 _ **Ironically, it is the strength of their SOUL.**_

 _ **Its power allows it to persist outside of the human body,**_

 _ **even after death.**_

 _ **If a akuma defeats a human, they can take its SOUL.**_

 _ **An akuma with a human SOUL…**_

 _ **A horrible beast with unfathomable power.**_

Marinette moved on to the last sign, her heart jumping up to her throat. She shivered, staring at the illustration on the akuma. She looked away, thoroughly unsettled.

Based on the signs, did that mean her heart was actually her SOUL? An all capitalized, somehow even more intimidating SOUL? And when Alya said she wanted to take Marinette's soul herself, was she… referring to a SOUL or was it just a metaphor for killing her?

Was there any difference between the two?

She felt a chill go through her body, and she wrapped her arms around herself, clenching the fabric of her old tank top in her shaking hands.

She'd have to ask Chat a lot of questions when they met up again.

But for the moment, Marinette pushed her fears and her curiosity away, forcing her feet to guide her forward, where she stepped on a floating plank of wood. She just barely managed to keep her balance, and the plank lurched forward, carrying her through pitch darkness.

The plank of wood deposited her at another dock-like place, and Marinette knew immediately that she wouldn't be having much fun in this area.

Shadows crept around her, and she walked forward, trying her best to keep her footsteps as quiet as possible.

But it wasn't enough.

A blue spear pierced the deck two inches away from Marinette's feet, and she whipped her head up. Alya stood on the path parallel to the deck, entirely clad in pitch-black armor, the purple plume on her helmet waving in a nonexistent wind.

She summoned another three blue spears, and Marinette stood stock still, figuring that if they were blue, they wouldn't hurt her.

As soon as they touched her, her SOUL emerged from her chest, and an onslaught of smaller white spears stabbed at it. Her heart did the best it could to dodge, but it still got hit multiple times, and Marinette clutched at her chest, gasping for breath.

Her SOUL darted away, out of reach of the spears. Which meant that the only other target was Marinette herself.

Marinette saw the spears race towards her, and she wondered if she would've been able to survive if she'd been wearing her sweater. But she wasn't.

And then she died.


	21. Chapter 20

The first thing Marinette thought after she died was that she indeed had the worst luck ever, and she had lied to Chat's face when she said she'd be fine. The second thing she thought was Nino was wrong, and she could not at all make friends with Alya.

"Well, shit," she muttered, sinking down to the perfectly white ground and pulling her knees up to her chest. Her heart was beating out of her chest, which she found a little odd since she was dead and it shouldn't be beating at all.

Fear, perhaps, transcended death.

She placed her chin on her knees, wrapping her arms around her legs as she stared at nothing but white.

"Why aren't you going back?" asked a very familiar voice. Marinette felt her eyes roll of their own accord. "There's still so much you have to do."

"Have you ever died?" Marinette asked the blurry person in red that stood before her, her voice monotonous and bland.

"Technically, yes," the person replied.

"Gone back to life, then?"

"No."

"Then you wouldn't understand."

The person sat down in front of Marinette, neatly arranging their legs so that they were to one side – how someone would sit if they were wearing a skirt. "Explain it to me."

Marinette scrubbed her face with her hands, sighing. "It's frustrating. It's like… doing something and finishing it earlier than you expected, but then turning around and seeing that it's unfinished again."

"But it's not like that at all," the person said, still sounding very confused.

Anger twitched inside Marinette's chest, but she kept herself calm. "How would you know? You said it yourself, you've never died and gone back to life."

"You're right," they said, seeming to draw the words out as they gathered their thoughts. "But dying doesn't mean you're finished. The story isn't done until it's done, and dying doesn't get in the way of that."

"I don't care about the story," Marinette said, drawing her knees closer to herself, trying hard to disappear. "Dying means you're life is finished."

"Not necessarily. Look at me, I've died, but that doesn't mean I'm finished."

Marinette raised her eyebrows at the indistinct figure in front of her. "I can't even see your face. You barely exist. You're finished, but you're cheating." She felt the wave of anger from the person hit her as if the entire ocean had been pushed at her chest. She blinked, but the blurry person hadn't moved at all.

"You shouldn't talk like that to me."

"Why? I'm already dead. And even if you do manage to harm me, even kill me, I'll spring to life again like nothing happened."

Another wave of anger hit her.

"Don't take advantage of your power to reshape the world using your determination," the person said.

Marinette blinked. She lifted her chin, a wave of her own fear settling over her heart, heavy and cold, like a sheet of ice. She'd heard that phrase before. Even after what seemed like so long, she still remembered by heart what Hawkmoth had said to her after she'd left the Ruins and saved Tikki. Her hands started to shake. "The ability to play God," she whispered, her lips trembling.

The person cocked their head. "You're afraid. Why? If you make a mistake, you can go back and fix it, like you've done before."

She shook her head. It wasn't that. But she couldn't bring herself to say anything about Hawkmoth. The cursed butterfly had intentionally harmed her when she'd only just fell, and then mocked her both times she'd left the Ruins. Taken advantage of her fragile state of mind and inspired fear in her heart.

"Can't I just stay dead?" she whispered quietly, shrinking back into herself.

"I thought I've told you why you can't," the person said, and Marinette could hear the frown in their voice. She closed her eyes, and the image of Chat clutching her dead body immediately appeared. "I can remind you again, if you'd like."

They touched a finger to Marinette's arm, and images flashed before her eyes, like a movie without sound.

 _Alya hefting Marinette's dead body onto her shoulder, scooping up Marinette's SOUL with her other hand._

 _Alya arriving at the palace, offering Marinette's SOUL and the Miraculous earrings to a seemingly empty room._

 _Nino holding Chat back as a swirl of SOULs, including Marinette's own, dissolved into the barrier. Both of them were crying._

 _Miraculous Stones were held up, magic emitting from them, and the barrier dissolved._

 _A terrible bloody war between the akumas and the humans._

 _Chat fighting against Alya, tears and blood streaming down his cheeks. Nino stood in the background, horrified._

 _Alya standing over Chat's limp body, her spear raised directly over his chest._

Marinette opened up her eyes, and the person drew back their hand. "Don't cry," they said, trying their best to sound sympathetic, "that won't happen if you make things right."

"I've died three times," she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut. "That's three times too many for someone who is supposed to make things right."

"It's okay because you have the power-"

"Shut up about power!" Marinette exclaimed, tears finally escaping from her eyes. Snot dripped from her nose, and she angrily wiped it away, wiped everything away, but the tears just kept coming. "I've died _three times._ Do you know what that's doing to me?" she demanded.

"I-"

"You don't!" Marinette interrupted. "You don't know at all what it's like to die and come back to life like nothing happened at all. The whole point of dying is that something happens, that you've lived your life and then it's over. It's the very thing that defines living." She knew that what with the snot and the tears and the blotchy cheeks she looked like a mess, but she couldn't care less. "If I just die to come back to life, then what's the point of living at all?"

The question fell from Marinette's lips like bricks, and the words hung heavily in the space between them.

Finally, the person spoke up, their voice soft. "You've seen what happens if you die. You decide what the point of living is." And with that, they burst into shards of red light, leaving Marinette alone in the perfectly white space.

She blinked at the empty space, surprise stopping her tears for just a moment.

And then they returned at full force, and Marinette's body shook with the force of her tears. She rested her forehead against her knees, taking shaky breaths in between sobs.

In her mind's eye, the image of her dead blue eyes that stared at nothing at all appeared. The eyes shifted to Chat, cradling her dead body, his shoulders shaking with grief. Chat shifted to Alya, carrying Marinette's SOUL in her hands. Alya shifted to Nino, his eyes shut tight and lips trembling as the barrier dissolved, taking Marinette's SOUL with it. Nino shifted to Chat, lying limp underneath Alya, a spear pointed at his heart.

She couldn't let that happen. She couldn't let the world fall apart just because she died. She couldn't leave Chat and Nino behind.

But she couldn't die again. It was driving her insane, she just wanted everything to be over. The self-destructive thoughts she had pushed away ever since she grew closer to Chat had returned, and she had no idea what to do about that.

 _You promised yourself that you'd save the akumas._

But she was so scared.

 _That didn't stop you before._

She wouldn't be able to handle it if she died again.

 _You'd be surprised as to how much you can handle._

But…

 _You can't leave Chat behind. You can't let him suffer just because you broke under the pressure. You can't stay here knowing you never got the chance to love him properly._

Marinette let out one last sob, squeezing her knees to her chest before she let go. "Why me?" she asked, standing up. "Why me?" she asked, wiping the snot and tears off her face. "Why me?" she asked, untying her sweater from around her waist and pulling it on. "Why me?" she asked, picking up the pieces of herself that had fallen apart.

"Why me?" she asked, willing herself to live again.

Chat stormed up to his and Nino's cabin, reaching out a hand to open the door. He stopped, his anger momentarily fizzling as he had an intense moment of déjà vu. He thought he tasted Nino's signature calming tea on his tongue.

And then, with just the thought of something connected to Nino, he remembered why he had been so angry. They needed to have a talk.

 _Cons to dying and being brought back to life: you can't go back to any point you wish. You go back to a fixed save point. Which means you have to go through shit puzzles again,_ Marinette thought as she completed the Bridge Seed puzzle.

 _Not to mention the effects on mental health._ Her yo-yo ringed, as she expected it to, and she answered it before it could even finish the first ring. "Hey, Nino. Chat wasn't too hard on you, was he?" Of course, she knew the answer, but she waited patiently as he answered, telling her about his anger and the calming tea.

"I'm glad he isn't made at you. I'm not mad at you, either."

Nino breathed a sigh of relief. "Really? That's good to hear."

"I'm more scared than anything else," Marinette admitted, figuring it was the truest thing she'd ever said in her entire life. "Alya's pretty intimidating, and I don't blame you for giving in," she said, trying not to sound like she was reciting lines for a play.

"Don't get me wrong, she _is_ intimidating, but that isn't why I gave in."

"Oh, really?"

"It's because she's _stupidly_ stubborn. I can never reason with her unless she sees it for herself." Marinette was quite sure she heard awe in his voice. "So I want you two to meet."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" she asked, fear starting to push against her stomach again.

"I'm positive," Nino replied, voice sure. "I know Alya, Marinette. Once she sees who you really are, she won't want to, um, fight you."

"You mean kill me."

"That too."

Marinette sighed, wondering why she was going to agree with this horrid plan _again._ "Fine. We'll talk and it'll be great. We'll even drink some calming tea together."

"Thank you so much for understanding," Nino said, relief evident in his tone. "I promise it'll go well."

"Let's hope you're right." Marinette hung up without another word.

 _Pros to living again: second chances. Even if I'm wasting them on stupid plans that are sure to fail._

She continued on to the Echo flower room, bypassing the whispering flowers that unfurled as she drew near, walking down the path that jutted out from the hallway. She pressed her hand to the rough surface of the wall, and it crumbled under her touch.

Anxiety made her steps falter as she walked onto the deck-like area with the many signs, but she took a shaky breath and continued on. She walked past the signs, turning her head away from the one with the illustration on it. She was already unsettled enough, and she didn't need to be creeped out by some picture.

 _Cons to living again: I have to go through this shit again,_ she thought, stepping onto the plank of wood and letting it float her to the next area. Shadows were thrown across the wood, and she continued walking, slower now, her footsteps the only sound in the pressing silence.

 _Maybe I can get by without being noticed._

A blue spear landed point-down in the wood two inches from her feet.

 _Or not._

Marinette stared at the spear, and she saw that it was rimmed in white. No wonder. She looked up at Alya, standing stoically as ever in full armor with the purple plume. "Can't we just… talk it out?" she asked weakly, keeping her hands over her chest, where her SOUL normally emerged.

Alya raised another spear.

"I didn't think so, either." And she started to run.

As it turned out, Alya could summon multiple spears at once, which made it a lot harder for Marinette to dodge. As it also turned out, Alya could summon bright purple pause buttons, which she threw onto the path in front of Marinette.

"Shit!" Marinette exclaimed as she tripped over her own feet and stumbled into a pause button, which held her feet firmly in place. Three spears hit her back at once, but it didn't hurt nearly as much as she expected it to.

Her SOUL emerged from her chest, but she held it close in her hands, not letting it wiggle out of her grasp. Bright white spears manifested in front of her, and they aimed themselves directly at Marinette's hands, which held her fluttering SOUL.

She bit her bottom lip so hard it started to bleed as the spears stabbed and slashed at her hands over and over again. But she kept her grip firm on her SOUL.

The pause button dissolved, and Marinette continued running, feeling her SOUL seep back into her chest, but she kept her bloodied hands clutched around the spot just in case.

She was running erratically now, her eyes darting back and forth as more pause buttons appeared on the deck. Alya summoned more and more blue spears, her anger apparent, but Marinette managed to avoid both the pause buttons and the spears.

Up ahead, the deck connected to a path, which was overgrown with tall plants and weeds. Last time, Marinette and Chat had hidden from Alya in the same sort of place, and Marinette prayed to anything and everything that she could hide in the plants like before. She made the final sprint to the plants, and then ran deeper, before dropping down to her knees, one hand on her heart, the other clasped on her mouth to keep her breathing from being too loud.

Her heart was beating hard and fast. She heard spears being thrown over the plants, sailing over her head. She heard Alya walk into the plants.

The footsteps thudded heavily, and Marinette squeezed her eyes shut as they drew closer. Alya stopped, barely a foot away from where Marinette sat. She thrust her hand into the plants (Marinette held her breath) and grabbed something, pulling it up above the plants.

But it wasn't Marinette she grabbed.

Marinette's eyes fluttered open, confusion mixing with her fear, creating a terrible cocktail of anxiety as she looked up at where Alya stood.

Manon hung from Alya's hand, a positively joyous expression on her face.

Alya slowly lowered Manon back into the plants, turning around and walking back the way she'd come. Marinette could've cried with relief.

She did a little bit, actually.

Her hands were bleeding badly, and they hurt like hell, but she was _alive._ She let out a shaky sob, covering her face with her mangled hands, her salty tears burning the open wound on her lip.

It took her a while to get herself back together, and she stood up, holding her hands out in front of her, blood dripping from her fingers and knuckles. She turned her hands over, wincing as she saw the many slashes and cuts on the backs of her hands. Reaching into her pocket now and pulling out her yo-yo to access akuma food would only her hurt her hands more at this point. She'd have to wait until she met up with Chat again.

She walked out of the plants, still holding her extremely injured hands out in front of her. Manon ran out from the plants, vibrating with excitement, and Marinette whipped around, hiding her hands behind her back.

"Did you see that?" Manon asked, her large eyes sparkling. "Alya just _touched me!"_

"I saw," Marinette said weakly, putting on a smile. "That's really cool."

"Man, you're _super_ unlucky," Manon said, hopping around in front of Marinette and grinning. "If you had just been a _little bit_ to the left, she would've touched you instead."

Marinette shivered, but managed to conceal it behind her smile. "I'm jealous," she lied.

"But don't worry! I'm _positive_ we'll see her again." She skipped off, humming a tune loudly. Marinette watched her go, and then let out a breath, taking her hands out from behind her back.

They really didn't look good.

Sucking in a breath, Marinette walked to the next area, which had a small table, an Echo flower, and a save point in it. On the table sat a piece of cheese, which appeared to be so old, a pink crystal had grown around it. The Echo flower squeaked softly at her, imitating a mouse.

Marinette stared at the save point, a million thoughts rushing through her mind. She looked down at her hands, which were still dripping blood. She walked through the area without touching the save point.

In the next area, Marinette could've cried again at the sight of Chat leaning against the wall by a telescope, looking up at the gems stuck in the ceiling. She had seen him die, but there he was, still alive and not under one of Alya's spears.

He seemed to sense her presence, and a smile curled his lips. He kept his eyes on the ceiling. "Hey, bugaboo, _purr_ fect timing. I was just thinking about telling you my fan _cat_ stic idea."

Her heart swelled, and tears gathered in her eyes. "Chat," she breathed, and something in her voice made him finally look at her.

"Marinette!" he exclaimed, rushing over to her, his eyebrows twisted with worry. "Your hands! You're crying; I _knew_ I should've taken you with me, shouldn't have left you alone-"

She stopped him, placing her hurting hands on his cheeks, staring up at him. Chat caught his breath. The gems in the ceiling reflected in her eyes.

Her eyelids fluttered as she blinked hard and fast, tears catching in her eyelashes. She pulled him down to her chest, softly so as to not hurt her hands, and she placed one hand in his hair, the other on his back, keeping him in a weak hug. She couldn't tell him how she felt, not now, but the weight of it on her heart made her start to cry again.

Chat could feel her heartbeat, and he closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her waist. He gently brought her down until they were sitting in the path, still wrapped in each other's arms. "What happened?" he whispered, and she seemed to hold him tighter.

"I'm so glad you're here again," she said instead of answering, instead of telling him the thing that she really wanted to.

"I told you I'd be back as soon as I could."

"I know."

"Not soon enough, apparently."

"You came back right when I needed you, and that's what matters."

Chat's breath hitched in his throat, and he squeezed her tighter. "I didn't want you to get hurt."

"Oops," Marinette whispered, tears dripping down her cheeks. Blood was running from the cut on her lip, and it was in his hair and on his back from her hands. "I got hurt."

"What happened?" he asked again.

"Alya came. She has so many spears." Chat held her tighter, anger flooding his veins. "But it's okay," she continued. "It'll be okay. I trust Nino."

The words were almost enough to get Chat to cry, but he held it in, pulling away, but keeping his hands on her waist. He studied her red and blotchy face for a moment. "Let's get you patched up."

"That'd be nice." Marinette removed her hands from his back and head, for some reason finding it funny that her blood had stained his yellow hair. Red and yellow. Ketchup and mustard. She started to giggle. "My blood's in your hair," she said, wiping her face with her hands, smearing blood on her cheeks.

Blood dripped from her chin to the ground.

"You're losing a lot of blood," Chat said, his eyebrows furrowing. He reached up and wiped off her lip. Marinette giggled again, giving Chat's thumb a little kiss. "Marinette, how much does it hurt?"

"A shit ton," she said, tears brimming in her eyes, a silly grin on her face.

"Where's your Miraculous Object?" Chat asked, his worry increasing tenfold.

Marinette held up her mangled hands, staring at them sadly. "I can't get it."

"That's okay, I'll get it for you. Where is it?" he asked, taking her hands gently in his and lowering them to her lap. "That way we can get it to stop hurting."

"Pocket," she mumbled, gesturing to her right front pocket, where there was indeed a yo-yo sized bulge. He reached into her pocket, and she started to giggle again, albeit weakly. "This is the closest you'll get to getting in my pants," she murmured, right into his ear. "Well, maybe not…"

Chat quickly grabbed the yo-yo and pulled away, every visible part of his skin blushed red.

"Red," she said, petting his face softly with the pads of her fingers, "like my blood." She showed him her hands.

"I'm glad you know your colors, princess," he said, clearing his throat and popping open the storage compartment. He pulled out the old pink skirt Marinette had picked up in that old cave and tore out two long strips of the material.

"Pink," she said, petting the larger piece of the fabric. "I like that color." Her eyelids were starting to droop.

"Do you now?" Chat asked, taking one of her hands and starting to wrap it up. "Is it your favorite?"

Marinette shook her head. "I'm tired, Chat. Let's go to sleep."

"No, no," he insisted gently, trying to ignore the way her blood was already starting to seep through the fabric. "I need you to tell me what your favorite color is."

"I like all colors," she said, her words slurring. "Especially when you wake up in the morning and the world is crisp and clear and the colors are brighter." She watched Chat finish wrapping up her hand. "Can I sleep now?"

"Not yet," he said, taking the other strip of pink fabric and moving to her other hand. "How about you eat one of those cinnamon buns and remind me what your favorite foods are?" He reached into the storage compartment, pulled out a slightly nibbled on cinnamon bun, and placed it in her bandaged hand before she could reply.

She nodded numbly, bringing up the cinnamon bun and taking a small bite. "I like Charlotte cakes," she said, taking another small bite.

"What type of cake is that?" he asked, watching as some of the blood seeped back into her wounds from just two bites. He continued wrapping her hand.

"It's a like a sponge cake, only that's just the mold for it. The inside is layers of fruits – I like strawberries – in a puree or custard with bread crumbs." She took another small bite of the bun, and some of her small cuts healed completely, sealing up into tiny white scars. "Crème brûlée is nice, too."

Chat finished wrapping up her hand, tucking in the stray strands of fabric. "Those sound delicious." She nodded, holding the cinnamon bun up to her mouth, but not taking a bite. "Finish the cinnamon bun, sweetheart, that way it'll stop hurting."

"I'm tired, Chat. Let me sleep."

"Does it still hurt?"

"Not really."

He looked down at her hands. Blood was still seeping through the fabric. "Take another bite just in case. And then you can sleep." She took another bite, then handed the rest of the cinnamon bun to Chat.

She got up on her knees, shuffling over to the wall of the path, gesturing for Chat to follow. He picked up her discarded yo-yo, placing the cinnamon bun carefully inside, and then followed her. "Sit," she said, patting the ground. He sat.

Once he had gotten into a comfortable position, she laid down, resting her head on his thigh and looking up at him. He couldn't help but notice that the cut on her lip had closed, but it had started to bruise, turning the pink of her lip to an ugly purple.

Her hands were curled up into loose fists, resting directly over her heart, and then she lifted one hand, brushing Chat's cheek with the knuckles of her fingers. "Hey, Chat," she whispered, running her fingers up and down his cheek.

"Hey, sweetheart, " he whispered back, brushing her black and slightly glittery hair away from her face.

"You're so pretty," she said, and her touch sent shivers down his spine.

"You're pretty, too, bug."

She smiled softly, her hand dropping back down to her chest. Chat immediately missed her touch. She closed her eyes. "Hey, Chat?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

The soft smile never left her lips. "I've died three times."

Chat froze, and something heavy slithered into his veins. He knew for a fact that she'd died once – he had been there, he had seen her SOUL shatter before his very eyes – but if Marinette wasn't just delirious from blood loss and was actually telling the truth…

That would explain the three major Jumps he'd felt.

"Marinette? What do you mean by that?" he asked, trying to keep his voice calm, but his heart was thudding fast.

She didn't answer.

With shaking hands, he felt for a pulse on thin wrist, and a steady heartbeat greeted him. "Marinette?" he repeated. Still no answer.

He looked down at her face, her beautiful face (even with the purple and bruised lip, her blotchy cheeks smeared with blood, her eyes swollen from crying). She was fast asleep.

Chat leaned his head back against the rough wall, resting one hand on hers, the other on his lap. _Just what the hell has this girl gone through?_ he wondered, staring at the gems on the ceiling.

 _And just what the hell have I gotten myself into?_


	22. Chapter 21

Marinette woke up with a headache. Her hands throbbed softly, but they weren't in nearly as much pain as they had been before. They seemed to be wrapped in something soft, and something heavy was weighing over both her hands, which were resting over her heart.

She pried open her eyes, feeling as if they had been glued shut. And she stared up at Chat's sleeping face.

 _What?_

The last thing she remembered was meeting up with Chat and assuring him that everything would be okay. After that, everything went fuzzy. How the hell did she end up laying down on the ground with her head resting on Chat's thigh?

One of his hands was gently laid over her hands. She felt her face redden, and she blinked up at Chat's relaxed face. She'd never noticed before, but he had really nice eyelashes. Nice everything, really.

Chat's eyelids fluttered, and she watched many disgruntled expressions flit across his face before he finally woke up. "Hi," he greeted, his tired green eyes focusing on her. His voice was raspy from sleep, and his lips had turned up in a slight smile.

"H-hey." She started to get up, but he moved his hand up to her forehead, pressing her back down. He arched his back, rolling his neck, but he kept his hand firmly on her forehead. "W-when did you fall asleep?" she asked, cursing herself for not being able to keep her voice steady.

"About the same time my thigh did," he responded, still with a lazy smile on his face.

She started to get up again. "I'm so sorry-"

"Shut it," he said, pressing her down again. "I don't mind."

Marinette blinked, finding it extremely unfair that he seemed to be framed by the gemstones on the ceiling, and yet he was by far the most dazzling thing in her line of sight. "I don't remember a lot from when I met up with you," she finally said.

His face turned a little red. "You acted like you were drunk."

"Blood loss?"

"Yeah."

"Did I say anything weird?"

The blush on his cheeks crawled down to his neck, where it disappeared under his collar. "Not particularly."

"You're lying."

"Yeah."

But he didn't say anything else, and Marinette didn't press. She was more than a little afraid of what she might've said. After all, she kept a lot of secrets. "You wrapped my hands," she said, lifting her bandaged hands.

"It took longer than it should've since you were intent on trying to sleep."

"Sorry."

He started to play with her hair, but neither of them said anything about it. "Does it hurt?"

Marinette stared at her hands, at the places blood had seeped through the cloth. "More like an itch I can't scratch." His hand drifted down to her lips, which felt a little sore. He ran his thumb over the sore part, and Marinette tried to keep her breathing even.

"You have a bruise here," he said, keeping his thumb on her bottom lip and staring down at her with concern.

"I don't like screaming. Especially in front of someone who wants to see me in pain." His face crumpled, and Marinette decided that maybe that wasn't the best thing to say. "It's okay, though," she quickly added.

"Are you sure?" he asked, and Marinette felt herself melt.

She lifted a bandaged hand, running her knuckles over his cheek. "Of course I'm sure."

He took her hand from his cheek, bringing it to his lips. He closed his eyes, kissing her knuckles, her fingers, the back of her hand.

"What are you doing?" she asked, her heart beating fast.

"Cats have healing properties, you know," he responded softly, his eyes still closed, his lips brushing against her hand. Marinette shivered.

And then she flicked him in the nose, realizing that she couldn't let him just do whatever the hell he wanted. Her heart might burst if he did.

"You're absolutely ridiculous."

He rubbed his nose, letting go of her hand. "Now I know for sure that you're okay."

When she tried to sit up again, he didn't stop her, and she felt herself relax just the slightest. Now she could be able to look at things other than his pretty face. Her lip was tingling where his thumb had been, but she brushed it off as the remains of her injury.

She stared down at her hands. They felt stiff, like they were mannequin hands that weren't actually hers. She picked at the bandages of her right hand, but before she could unravel them, Chat gently laid his hand on top of hers.

"Maybe you should finish your cinnamon bun first, bug," he said, voice tight.

"Why?" she asked, gently taking her hands out from under his. She needed to have her head cleared of his touch. It was bad enough just looking at his face.

He seemed to notice how she avoided his touch, and his lips pursed just the slightest before he answered. "They were really bad, Marinette."

"You think I don't know that?"

"Of course you do. It's just that maybe it would be better if they healed completely before you undo the bandages." She continued staring at him, raising her eyebrow. He sighed. "Call me selfish."

"Selfish," she replied. "I thought you were supposed to be a cat."

"I am." He was giving her that pained look, but Marinette kept staring at him. "You know I don't want to see you hurt."

"You're going to have to get over that," she said with a sigh. "Hand over the yo-yo."

He did as he was told, grabbing the Object that was sitting on the ground beside him and giving it to her. As she opened the storage compartment and took out the half-eaten cinnamon bun, he remained silent, but as soon as she'd taken a bite, he opened his mouth. She took a deep breath to prepare herself.

"I'm not going to get over it, Marinette." Her heart fluttered nicely, but she kept her face blank as she continued staring at him. "I care about you, and caring about people means that you don't like seeing them hurt. I especially don't like seeing you bleed all over the floor, and then insist that everything is fine when we both know it isn't."

 _Well. He has a point there._

"Even if, for some strange reason, you don't like the fact that I care about you enough to never _ever_ want to see you that way, I won't stop caring about you."

Marinette swallowed the bite of cinnamon bun, her throat tight. Her eyes burned. She blinked hard and fast, praying he didn't notice. "That's not what I meant," she said softly, taking another small bite of the cinnamon bun.

"Then what did you mean?"

She waited until after she'd finished the entire cinnamon bun before she responded. "I meant that it's guaranteed I'll get hurt again. Not everyone is going to like me, some people will want me captured – for my SOUL, my Miraculous Stone – the list goes on. So I'm going to get hurt."

"That doesn't mean I have to like it."

"That's the spirit." She cracked him a grin, and, after a moment, he gave her one back. "And now for the grand unveiling," she said, holding up her hands. "Would you do the honors, my good sir?"

"Of course, my lady," he replied, taking her hands and unraveling the bandages with an exaggerated grandeur.

Compared to the last time Marinette had seen them, they were infinitely better. Thanks to the cinnamon bun, the dull throb had vanished, and her hands felt like they belonged to her again. They looked almost normal.

Except for the scars.

"Oh, Marinette…" She ignored Chat, staring at her hands. Some of the deeper cuts had healed into long pink scars, and the other smaller cuts were a pale white. She flexed her hands, watching the scars stretch and move as if they had always been there.

"Well, they don't hurt anymore," she said, holding her hands up to the ceiling and looking at them like they were a piece of art in a gallery. "I like it." She dropped her hands back to her lap and looked over at Chat.

He was staring at her with this absolutely pained expression that made her heart skip a beat.

"What?"

"Nothing," he said, shaking his head, a small smile pulling at his lips. "You really are amazing."

"Glad you've finally realized it," she replied, standing up and brushing off her shorts. He tried to stand up, too, but she pushed him back down, giving him a look. "When was the last time you rested?"

He blinked at her. "Just now."

"Yeah, right," she said, rolling her eyes. "I meant _really_ rested. Without worrying about me, or anything else." He opened his mouth, then closed it, giving her a sheepish look. "That's what I thought. Stay here."

She started to walk in the direction she had come from, but he stopped her, grabbing hold of her hand. "I'm not letting you go alone."

"What do you think I'm going to do? Go pick a fight with someone? I can barely run away without practically peeing my pants." Yes, she was trying to be funny. But it was also true.

"That's exactly why you shouldn't go anywhere alone."

"I'm not a kid," she reminded him for what seemed like the thousandth time.

"I never said you were." He was giving her that look that said she shouldn't argue, but she was stubborn by nature, so she stared him down. "If you want me to rest without worrying, then you shouldn't go."

Her resolve cracked just the slightest. "That's not fair."

"Yes, it is."

She pursed her lips, knowing he was right. "I'm not going far."

There was a slight moment of hesitation before Chat sighed, squeezing her hand before letting go. "Promise me you'll be safe." She stared at him. "Marinette, please."

Finally, she relented. "I've told you before. There's no guarantee." He gave her a look. "But I promise I'll be as safe as I can be."

"I guess that's as good as I'll get."

"Yeah." She turned around, wondering why both of them had to make such a big deal out of her leaving for just a little bit. Before, Chat left her alone all the time. Why didn't he trust her?

 _It isn't about trust. You know that._

Marinette walked to the area she'd come from, where the save point was. When she'd first gone through the area, her hands could barely function and she'd had no idea what touching the save point might do to them. Not to mention the fact that her mental health was slowly deteriorating now that death wasn't a threat.

But if saving meant never going through that shit again, she'd gladly save in a heartbeat.

She glanced at the mouse hole before touching the save point. The world turned black and white, and Marinette took that opportunity to catch her breath. Everything was going so quickly.

Even her relationship with Chat was progressing, if she did say so herself. Not that she didn't like the progression. But it was scary. Having someone care about her so intensely was absolutely terrifying.

And what was it that Nino had said? The barrier was in the king's palace, and she just had to get through Waterfall and Hotland. She was in Waterfall, which meant that it wouldn't be long before she reached the palace.

Where she'd have to face a king that, according to Tikki, was out for blood.

 _Great. Awesome. Magnificent._

 _Everything sucks, and I'm going to die a dozen times._

She took a deep breath, finally looking at the save message.

 _ **Knowing the mouse might one day extract the cheese from the magical crystal…**_

 _ **It fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Marinette stared at the message, and a strange feeling flooded through her chest. It was like when she had just left the Ruins, when she had convinced herself that the only thing that mattered was going forward.

 _Forward._

She pressed the 'yes' button, and the world filled itself with color once more. Yes, everything was stressful and strange and _wrong,_ but if she kept going forward, then there was the chance things would get better.

The first thing she saw when she walked to the next area was Chat, sitting with his back against the wall, completely asleep. His mouth was hanging open, and Marinette giggled to herself, hiding her smile behind a scarred hand just in case he wasn't actually asleep.

As she sat down next to him, he stretched languidly, his boots and gloved hands coming out in front of him. Marinette didn't fail to notice his muscles bulge under the tight leather of his suit, but she ignored how her heart did a little flop. His hands dropped to the ground, and he shifted his back until he was leaning almost totally on her.

Such a cat.

"I guess we'll be here for a while," she murmured, and, as if to punctuate her point, Chat's head fell on top of hers.

Sure, she'd told him to rest, but she had no idea what to do now. She couldn't sleep – she wasn't tired, and she had a feeling now that she wasn't suffering from blood loss she'd have dreams again. And she didn't want to face the blurry person yet.

So she pulled out her yo-yo, wondering if she had anything to do while Chat drooled in her hair.

As it turned out, she had a lot of cold akuma treats left, and tatters of her old clothes and the pink cave skirt. The only other thing in the storage compartment was the thick history book she'd taken from the library.

She listened to Chat's slow and steady breathing, determining that he was in fact fast asleep, then took out the history book. How such a small yo-yo could fit anything at all inside of it was a mystery to her, but she wasn't complaining. It was probably magic.

The last time she'd read from the book, she'd read the first section, which had been about the origin on the akumas. And that is what basically drove her to even think about trying to save the entirety of the Underground. There had been three parts, and, if she'd only skimmed through the first section, then she could still look through parts two and three.

She checked the page number for the second section (which was entitled Souls), and then flipped through until she found the right page. Unlike the first section, which she recalled as being unreasonably wordy and scientific, the Souls section seemed thin and understandable.

Chat let out a soft sigh, making a cute little whining noise. She started to read.

 _ **Part Two: Souls**_

 _ **Souls, put into the human sense, are simply one's mind, or even a religious concept. However, once put into the akuma sense [See: Magical versus Human, pg 343] the term 'soul' has a different meaning entirely. To differentiate between the two, the magical sense of souls is normally capitalized in writing.**_

 __ _ **•**_ _ **SOUL Relation to Magic**_

 _ **In The Origin of Akumas, it is stated that a human who is overly emotional near a magical hotspot are turned into akumas. These humans, during their transformation, have their emotions culminated into a SOUL, which can manifest outside of the body, but only in extremely rare cases, when their magic is strong enough to subsist out in the open. A SOUL is a pure form of magic which resides inside an akuma's body that causes their emotions to be intense and unstable. If the akuma is put into intensive therapy in a safe environment, then they can learn to control the magic within them.**_

 _ **• SOULs Within Humans**_

 _ **Humans are weary of magic because the creation of akumas proved that magic can be a dangerous force if left uncontrolled. However, the few humans that have been documented to use magic, such as those who created the barrier, have been known to possess a SOUL. This is because, even though they were in contact with magic, their emotions remained relatively stable, so they never transformed into an akuma. These humans are the most powerful, even when put up against akumas who are skilled in magic. This is because, even though they are near magic, they are able to control their emotions or at the very least overcome those emotions. It is theorized that a SOUL possessing human who loses control of their emotions will become the most powerful akuma of all.**_

Marinette jumped as Chat let out another high-pitched whine, startling her out of her reading, but, surprisingly, he didn't wake up. Her heart was beating out of her chest, and she put her hand over the pages of the book, taking a deep breath to calm herself down.

This SOUL business was seriously freaking her out.

Because Marinette was not supposed to have a SOUL.

Never before in her life had she been around magic, at least, not until she fell into the Ruins, and then progressed through the Underground. Her life before the fall was sad and dreary, and, given that she remembered everything with a disturbing clarity, she hadn't been around magic _at all_ before coming to the Underground.

And yet, her SOUL manifested itself outside of her body almost at the very beginning of her journey through the Underground. Sure, the first time it happened, she'd already had the Miraculous Object, but there has got to be a certain amount of training involved when developing a SOUL in humans.

Not to mention it was a complete surprise that she hadn't been turned into an akuma yet. Everywhere she turned, bad things were happening and she was barely able to continue walking let alone control anything emotion-wise. None of this was making sense.

"Doing some light reading?"

For the second time within five minutes, Marinette almost jumped out of her skin. "Chat! You were awake?" She slammed the book shut, pressing her fingers into the cover until her fingertips were white.

"Kind of hard to sleep when you slammed your head into my cheek earlier." He lifted his head from hers, but he didn't scoot away, instead wiping his face and focusing his eyes on her. "What's got you freaked out?"

"How'd you know I was freaked out?" No point in denying it, really. She needed to ask him questions about it, and he'd learn sooner or later that the whole concept of SOULs unsettled her.

"You started to shake."

"Oh."

Chat took the thick book out of her hands, flipping through it casually. "What were you reading about?"

"I started reading the Soul section." He nodded, finding the page and skimming through it before looking back at her.

"Basic stuff, really. Kittens learn about this stuff when they're in school."

"Do you always refer to children as kittens?"

" _Purr_ ferably." She gave him a look, and she saw the corners of his mouth twitch up just the slightest before he regained his serious look. "Now what's bothering you about SOULs?"

"Do you remember when we faced that Gyftrot? And the Greater Dog?"

His ears twitched at the same time his lip curled in disgust. "Yeah. Why?"

"Do you remember how a heart came out of my chest?" She pulled her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around her legs and staring straight ahead. "That was my SOUL."

"Yeah. What about it?"

Marinette blinked, looking over at him. "I'm human, Chat."

"It says in the book that humans can have SOULs. And, from my own scientific knowledge, I agree. Humans can have SOULs if they've been around magic, know how to use it , and are powerful enough."

"You didn't think at all that it was weird?"

He shrugged. "At first, yeah. I was surprised that you had enough magic within you to be able to have your SOUL subsist outside of your body for so long, but then I remembered that you had a Miraculous Object, and even a Miraculous Stone. Given that, it didn't strike me as odd. I thought that you had training."

She sighed. There was no point in dancing around the point. "I had no training. Before I came to the Underground, I thought magic was fake."

"Well," he paused, blinking at her, "then being using the Miraculous' magic when facing akumas gave you the training you needed."

"No," she said, shaking her head. "The first time my SOUL manifested was the first time I was in a battle with an akuma I could fight back against." There was no telling why it hadn't manifested in front of Hawkmoth, so she just decided that it was probably because she had no chance of fighting back and even her SOUL had a sense of self-preservation.

"That's impossible."

"It happened."

"A powerful SOUL with zero training only exists in akumas, this shouldn't-"

"Speaking of akumas," Marinette interrupted, already knowing it was impossible so she therefore didn't need Chat to remind her. "Why am I not one?"

"Oh." He stared at her. "That's easy."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"In the book it says that humans with powerful SOULs don't become akumas because they have control over their emotions." She opened her mouth to protest (she had control of literally nothing ever), but he stopped her, pinching her mouth closed. "You, sweetheart, are the master of that."

She pulled herself away from him, eyebrows raised. "Are you kidding me? The amount of control I have on anything in my life is an absolute zero! You can believe me when I say that I've been through shit, and have felt like shit more than once."

His expression was infuriatingly caring. "That's the point, Marinette. You're still here, stubborn as ever. You are amazingly determined to get through everything, even if you're put through hell."

"That's…" She trailed off, thinking of the save messages reminding her of her determination. "That's not special, is it? Anyone would want to get through bad situations."

"Sure, they would _want_ it, but most of the time, they don't do anything about it. But here you are, not only determined to get through the Underground alive, but to also save everyone else in the process."

"I'm just doing what anyone else would do."

"No, Marinette, you're doing what _you_ would do, and that's what matters." There was a small silence in which Marinette thought about how to answer that, but the intense look on Chat's face was making it hard to focus.

She threw her hands up in the air and made a frustrated noise in the back of her throat. "But I'm not supposed to have a SOUL! I've been around magic, so I should've been turned into an akuma, but apparently I'm too determined to not screw shit up, so whatever. That makes sense. What doesn't make sense is this" – she pounded a fist on her chest, where her SOUL normally came out – "this _thing_ that's inside me."

"It _is_ worrying," Chat admitted, leaning back a little as if to look at her from a different angle. Marinette suddenly felt as if she were underneath a microscope. "If what you've said is true-"

"Why would I lie?"

"-then it would've been scientifically impossible for you to possess a SOUL," he continued as if she hadn't spoken. "Either you were exposed to magic before and you had no idea or…" He trailed off, giving her one last scrutinizing look before shrugging nonchalantly. "Or you're an anomaly."


	23. Chapter 22

Marinette stared at Chat, who did not seem bothered at all by the conversation they had just been having. "But don't you find it the least bit weird?" she demanded, pulling him back down rather forcefully when he tried to get up.

"Of course I do, bugaboo." She made a face at his obvious rhyme, and he smiled a little. "But my days of science are over. Or at least, I want them to be." She narrowed her eyes at him, but he shook his head, almost imperceptibly.

"But it's freaking me out."

"I think it should be fine." This time, when he tried to get up, she didn't stop him. He offered a hand to her, and she took it carefully, trying to control her dumb fluttering heart. "You seem to have adapted relatively well to the SOUL, so there's really nothing to worry about."

"Besides the fact that the Royal Guard wants me dead for having a SOUL."

"Right, as always." She rolled her eyes and started to continue forward, but he pulled her back. "Not just yet. Hand over your yo-yo."

"Why?"

"You've got something on your face."

"I can wipe it off myself."

He held out his hand, raising his eyebrows at her. She sighed, digging into her pocket and pulling out the yo-yo, handing it over reluctantly. He popped open the storage compartment and pulled out the remains of the pink cave skit, tearing off a piece and stuffing the rest back into the yo-yo. He raised the pink cloth up to his mouth.

"Do not."

He spat onto the cloth.

"Too late."

And then he rubbed the cloth over both of her cheeks, scrubbing off whatever was there. "This is absolutely disgusting."

"I think you'd prefer this than having blood on your face."

"At least it would be my own blood."

He laughed a little, scrubbing her cheeks a little bit more before he folded up the gross cloth and placed it back into her yo-yo. As soon as she snatched it back from him, giving him a terrible glare, he put both of his gloved hands on her cheeks and squeezed them together.

"Cute as ever," he said as she continued to glare at him, thought she was sure it was far less intimidating than she wanted it to be since at the moment she probably resembled a fish.

"Get out of my face," she muttered, pulling her face out of his hands.

"Oh, but you're cheeks are still a little red, maybe there's still a little bit of blood on them-"

She grabbed his cheeks just like he had moments before, shutting him up before he wiped his spit all over her face again. "You're ridiculous, and I hate you." Only one of those statements was true, and she was sure he knew that because he started to laugh, which looked absolutely ridiculous because of his smushed together cheeks.

"You know you love me," he said when she fought back a smile with very little success. He started to smack his fishy lips together and lean closer, and that was when she lost it.

"Get out of my face," she said, wheezing with laughter and pushing him away.

He stared at her as she laughed, a goofy and crooked smile spreading over his face. There was a weird and pleasant feeling flowing through his veins, and it had everything to do with the sound of her laughter and the blush on her cheeks.

It was at that moment Chat put a name to the sensation he'd been feeling for a while now.

When Marinette managed to control herself, she looked up at him, a breathless smile on her face. "What are you staring at?" she asked.

"Only the most beautiful things I've ever seen."

Her face reddened, and she turned away from him. "Shut up."

"Yeah, okay."

They started to walk, and they passed a telescope and a box, both of which Marinette ignored, even though Chat paused by both of them. An akuma stood by a cave entrance, staring at the gems on the ceiling.

"What's a star?" they asked as soon as Marinette and Chat neared them.

"A jewel in the sky," Marinette said at the same time Chat said, "a ball of gas in space."

The akuma stared at them. And then looked back at the ceiling. "Can you touch it? Can you eat it? Can you kill it?" The akuma paused, looking directly at Marinette. "Are you a star?"

Chat pulled Marinette away before she could even think to answer. "Wait, whoa," she protested as he dragged her toward the cave entrance, "couldn't we have at least stayed to talk to them?"

"No," he said firmly. "Marinette, there are some akumas that never returned to how they used to be as humans. And those akumas can be dangerous."

"Does that guy look dangerous to you?" The akuma had wandered off to the telescope, where they looked up at the ceiling once more.

He sighed exasperatedly, leading her into the cave as if he couldn't be bothered to even try and explain to her what he was really thinking. Well, it wasn't as if anyone was affected at all, so she guessed she didn't mind just following Chat if he thought something was dangerous.

She guessed.

The cave revealed a familiar face, one the two hadn't seen in a while.

"Stormy?"

Stormy Weather looked up from her ice cream stand, her icy expression melting into a grin. "Hey, cutie! The last I saw you, it was just outside of Snowdin, right?"

"Right," Marinette answered, still finding it hard to look directly into Stormy's blue and purple eyeliner rimmed eyes.

"I'm here, too," Chat said in a monotonous tone.

"Unfortunate," Stormy said, barely flicking her gaze to Chat before returning her attention to Marinette. "How've you been? It feels like you got prettier since the last time I saw you."

Marinette blushed. "I've been good, I guess. How about you?"

"Business is still slow," Stormy said with a sigh, gesturing to the empty cave. "I moved my cart over here hoping for more business, just like you suggested-"

"I suggested, actually," Chat interrupted. Stormy continued without even missing a beat.

"But it hasn't been any better over here than over there." Stormy idly twirled her fingers, creating tiny blizzards in the palm of her hand. "I'm pretty bummed about it." The blizzards formed a palm-sized snowball, which she immediately threw directly in Chat's face.

"Really?" Chat demanded, wiping the snow off of his face. "How petty can you be?"

"I can be as petty as much as I am pretty, which, incidentally, is way more that you," Stormy responded, giving Chat a toothy grin. "I needed a pick-me-up, kitty cat. Can't blame me for that."

"Well, _Ice queen,_ I can totally blame you for needing a pick-me-up if it includes throwing a snowball at my face." His eyes flicked toward Marinette, and then he said in a much more reserved tone, "and don't call me kitty cat."

Stormy rolled her eyes, turning back to Marinette. "You know, I'm always a great back up plan if you finally realize that that one is ridiculous."

"Oh, I've already realized it," Marinette said. Chat had the good grace to look offended. "And your offer is noted."

"Marinette!"

Another tiny blizzard formed in Stormy's hand, but this time it turned into a long ice pop with a bright pink color. "For that you get this for free," Stormy said, reaching behind her a picking up a popsicle stick and sticking it into the pink ice pop.

"Don't take that," Chat said.

"Why thank you," Marinette said, taking the pink popsicle.

"Oh, and make sure to eat it soon, or else its effects wear off."

"What effects?" Marinette asked as Chat started to drag her off.

Stormy's only response was a wink and a wave goodbye.

"You're not eating that," Chat said as he dragged her the rest of the way out of the cave and Marinette tried to guess exactly what the ice pop would do to her.

"Yeah I am," Marinette said, moving her hand away from Chat's, which was trying to make a grab for the ice pop. "And you aren't stopping me."

"There's no telling what it'd do to you," Chat said, though the look in his eyes said he knew exactly what it'd do. "And Stormy was _blatantly flirting_ with you again. She could've put something weird in the ice."

"You said blatantly flirting as if it's a bad thing."

"It is a bad thing!"

"Only when you're not the one doing it, you mean."

"That's not-"

"Yeah, it is." And with that, Marinette bit into the popsicle. She was almost disappointed when nothing happened. "Well?" Marinette asked when Chat stared at her with a worrying glance. "Aren't we going to keep moving?"

He narrowed his eyes at her, and when he finally decided that she was fine, he nodded. "Alright."

She continued eating the popsicle. Even if it had no obvious effects on her, it did taste good. Like honey and strawberries. "Where to next, oh loyal guide?"

Now that he wasn't worried about the popsicle, Chat bit back a smile, obviously very excited. "Remember how I said that this was the most beautiful place? I wasn't referring to the gemstones."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that the next place that we're going to is almost as beautiful as you are."

"Flattery gets you no where," she replied somewhat haughtily, though when he offered her his hand, she took it without protest. Flattery, in her case, got him everywhere, but there was no way she would admit it.

He led her to a black wooden bridge that connected with black islands made of sand. Surrounding the small black islands was an expanse of bright blue water that seemed to glow in the darkness of the cavern. Clusters of water cattails sprung out from the blue water, waving gently in a breeze Marinette couldn't quite feel. Water lilies drifted peacefully on the water. On some of the other patches of black sand, Marinette could see trees with leaves a gradient of blues – from the lightest of teals to the darkest of navys.

The place took Marinette's breath away, as if she were walking through some type of dreamland.

As she finished the popsicle, her heart started to beat faster than normal, and she had the sudden urge to pull Chat closer.

So much for no effects.

"It's beautiful," she breathed, trying to distract herself from her erratic heart.

Chat looked down at her, and in the ethereal lighting coming from the water and the gemstones on the ceiling, his green eyes seemed softer. _He_ seemed softer. "I told you so," he said, and she watched his lips move as he spoke.

 _Oh, man. This is bad._

They walked hand in hand down the black paths made of sand, and they passed over another wooden bridge. Marinette finished the popsicle and stuff the stick into her pocket, her heart beating too fast for her to really care about something potentially sticky ending up in her pocket.

Two Echo flowers had grown in the black sand, and even they seemed to glow in the strange and magical lighting the water gave off. Whispers drifted from the flowers to Marinette's ears, and she found herself inching closer to Chat.

He didn't seem to notice.

As they walked closer to the Echo flowers, Chat looked down at her, pressing his index finger to his lips. No wonder Stormy had only winked at her. That should've been the only clue Marinette needed for the effects of the popsicle. Although she was sure that this scene by itself would be enough to get her heart to race.

The nearest Echo flower's petals unfurled in their direction, and, as they walked closer, the whispers emitting from it grew just the slightest louder. The whispers seemed to be from a passing conversation.

" _So? Don't you have any wishes to make?"_

The next flower seemed to be from the same conversation.

"… _hmmm… Just one, but… It's kind of stupid."_

Chat led her away from the flower, and Marinette looked around for any other signs of more Echo flowers. "What? I want to know the wish," she said softly, just in case the flower could still pick up on her voice.

"Don't worry, little bug. You'll find out soon." He had this soft smile on his face that made Marinette really want to punch him (instead of kiss him, which would've been weird). "That way over there is a dead end," Chat said, pointing at one of the black paths, "nothing at all over there except some mushrooms and a bush or two."

And so they walked along the other path.

Where they ran into Aaron.

"Hey, babe," the akuma said with a wink that made Marinette literally want to barf. Her SOUL emerged from her chest, and, instead of hovering in front of her, it drifted over to Chat, where it remained almost uncomfortably close to him.

"C-could you pay attention?" Marinette hissed at her SOUL, but it just pulsed warmly, drifting even closer to Chat. "If you stay so close to him, he might get hurt."

"I can take care of myself," Chat said, though her SOUL had begrudgingly already started to float away to lure the white sweat droplets exuding from Aaron away.

"You up for a flexing contest?"

"Shut up, Aaron." She slipped off her sweater, tying it around her waist.

"Feisty as ever, I see."

Marinette didn't even bother trying to reply, instead just flexing her biceps. Aaron flexed his arms. Chat stared. "Um, why?" he asked, and Marinette let out a long sigh.

"I don't know. I hate this." She flexed her leg, and Aaron flexed himself out of the room. "I really hate that guy." Her SOUL drifted back over to her (but not before floating very close to Chat), where it pressed itself back into her chest.

She could've been imagining it, but Chat seemed to be a bit flushed. He cleared his throat. "You should, uh, put your sweater back on."

"Why?"

"You might get a cold."

"It's not cold here."

He wasn't even looking at her, his eyes fixed on the black sand at their feet. "Still. It's a risk." She stared at him for a moment longer, and then untied her sweater, pulling it back on. It was just as well; she didn't want to get hurt without the added protection of her sweater.

Now that there wasn't anything to distract her from the fluttering of her stomach and the rapid beating of her heart, Marinette felt as if she might explode. So she decided to create her own distraction.

"A-are you sure" – she cleared her throat – "are you sure everything will be okay with my SOUL?" Chat had taken her hand again, and she fought to keep control of herself as they walked on.

"In terms of you having one and being able to deal with it?" He thought for a moment. "Yes, I think it should be fine." Amongst the glow of the water and the sparkle of the gems on the ceiling, Marinette saw the faint glow of another Echo flower ahead.

"What about in other terms?" she asked, determined to get past the fluttery feeling flowing through her veins. "Why does the Royal Guard need my SOUL?"

Chat stiffened. "How do you know about that?"

 _From when I died and my blurry mentor showed me the future if I stayed dead, in which Alya offered my SOUL to the barrier and also you died. No big deal._

"I just do."

He sighed, and his grip on her hand tightened just the slightest. "We don't have all of the Miraculous Stones or Objects. We've proven that they'll help destroy the barrier, but with the ones we have now, it won't be nearly enough. So it is theorized that using a human SOUL might be just enough magic to completely destroy the barrier."

"Theorized."

"Yes."

"Which means there's a chance it might not actually work?"

Again, Chat sighed, like she was prodding into difficult territory, but Marinette couldn't stop now. Her fear had mixed with her curiosity, which meant there was no turning back. "Not exactly. The theory only came up when a human came into the Underground with an extremely powerful SOUL. When the human died, their SOUL was examined by the Royal Scientist and… The Royal Scientist was absolutely certain that her theory would work. But then the SOUL disappeared."

"What?" They were nearing the Echo flower now, so they dropped their voices down to whispers and stopped walking. "How could it just disappear?"

Chat shrugged, though it seemed that he knew more than he let on. "Don't know. It could've dissipated, given that SOULs don't stay around forever or… an akuma who sympathized with the human may have taken it and hidden it somewhere. Somewhere where it wouldn't be found."

Marinette shivered, a sudden chill running down her spine. "If I die-"

"You're not going to."

"If I die," she continued, "then I want you to take my SOUL and hide it. Don't let them destroy the barrier with it until you're absolutely certain that they won't kill the entire human race."

He bit his lip, taking her other hand and leaning in. "I don't want it to come to that," he said softly.

Something inside her seemed to break, and she felt a wave of emotion rush over her. "Me neither," she whispered, her voice cracking. "Chat, they're hunting me down for three different reasons, and I'm so scared."

His hand moved up to her face, cupping her cheek, bringing her even closer. "I won't let them get to you." She closed her eyes. She could feel his breath on her lips.

Her yo-yo beeped incessantly.

They jumped away from each other, and Marinette could feel her face heat up to the extremes as she pulled out her yo-yo and answered the call.

"H-hello?" she stuttered, her gaze flicking over to a very red Chat. Their eyes met, and they immediately looked away from each other. If possible, Marinette felt her cheeks grow even hotter.

"Marinette?" Nino's voice. "Oh, man, I'm so glad you're okay."

"Nino? What's this about?"

"I just met up with Alya for, um, personal reasons, and she told me that she chased after you for a while." He took a shaky breath. "She said she hurt you."

Marinette glanced down at her scarred hands. "Nothing some healing akuma foods couldn't fix. I'm okay, Nino."

"I'm really sorry, Marinette," Nino said, sounding absolutely miserable. "I really thought she wouldn't hurt you if she just got to know you."

"We didn't get a chance to talk, really. It's okay, I'll just have to… try again." Even though the thought made her physically nauseated, but whatever.

"Really? I'll try and convince her to go easier on you, okay?"

"Okay."

"I'll go do that now. And be careful, okay, Marinette?"

"For sure." She hung up, and a nervous silence descended on her and Chat. She could still feel his breath brushing against her lips, the warmth radiating from his skin.

Chat cleared his throat. "We should, uh, keep moving."

"R-right," she replied, cursing her stutter. "Right."

They started to walk side-by-side, and Marinette inched herself closer. She slipped her hand in his, and she didn't at all miss the smile he tried to hide.

They were melting, but neither of them seemed to mind.


	24. Chapter 23

" _Don't say that!"_

Marinette turned, staring at the Echo flower a few feet away. No doubt it had overheard part of the passing conversation the other two Echo flowers had heard, but she felt as if it was overhearing a thought that had occurred to her.

Chat had said they should keep moving. Marinette had agreed.

Except she didn't want to keep moving.

She wanted to stand still in the ethereal light reflecting from the teal water, letting her boots sink into the black sand, the Echo flowers whispering tiny slips of conversations that tickled her ears. She wanted to stand still and have Chat's breath on her lips, her hands on his cheeks.

At this point, she couldn't tell if the popsicle effects were _that bad_ or if the atmosphere had amplified her emotions tenfold. Probably a bit of both.

"Buginette," Chat whispered, giving her hand a light squeeze to get her head out of the clouds (and also fantasies concerning a lot of kissing one particular cat boy).

She caught the last whispers of the Echo flower as Chat pulled her along.

" _Come on, I promise I won't laugh."_

The whispers of the Echo flower faded away, and the sand gave way to black soil, where tiny shoots of teal grass peaked out. "What about the wish?" Marinette asked, trying to shake off the fluttery feeling in her gut.

"I promise you'll find out eventually."

"Lame. Why can't you tell me?"

"Ruins the atmosphere."

Marinette rolled her eyes, a sign on the wall catching her gaze in the process. "The power to take their SOULs. This is the power that the humans feared," she read aloud, looking over to Chat with furrowed eyebrows. "I don't understand."

"What don't you get?"

"Not all humans have SOULs, right? Which is why me having one is weird. But this makes it sound like all humans have a SOUL in them."

Chat glanced at the sign, pursing his lips. "Akumas are biased toward the entire human race. These signs were written during a time when the akumas in positions of power wanted to spark fear into the other akumas."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means humans and akumas fear the same thing; too much power in the other race." He paused, letting go of her hand to run it through his hair. "This is all true information, but, as you said, it makes it sound like _all_ humans have SOULs, which they don't."

Marinette tried to keep herself from taking his hand again. "So… what? The powerful akumas wanted to make sure the rest of akumas feared humans? But why?"

He kicked at the sand absently, his face screwed up in reserved anger. "Control. If the akumas feared humans, it would be so much easier to convince them that humans needed to be killed."

"But… But akumas should know their history, right? They came from humans, so they should know that not all humans have SOULs, and that humans aren't all bad, right?" Marinette protested, trying to wrap her mind around everything.

"Akuma minds are… flexible. A lot happens when they transform. They forget everything except their own emotion, and they only learn who they were and how everything used to be when they go through therapy. They trust blindly those who helped them, and if the people they trust start saying things that you and I would find hard to believe, akumas would trust them anyway."

He always talked in a sort of… detached way when talking about akumas.

She chewed on the inside of her cheek, watching his expression before finally speaking. "And you're not like that?"

A slight moment of panic registered across his face, and Marinette didn't fail to miss it as it was cleanly wiped away, replaced by a jaunty grin. "Never been the 'blind trust' sort of guy, sweetheart."

 _Serious conversation over, I guess._

"What sort of guy are you, then?" she asked, placing her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrows.

"The sort to take a pretty girl to Waterfall just to see her sparkle like the jewels in the wall."

Her stomach did a little dance, and she felt a smile bubble up on her face. She turned away before he could notice, starting to walk ahead. "So I take it you've done it before?"

"Nope." He took her hand and swung it between them as they walked. She tried to hide the pleased look on her face as he looked down at her. This was so not fair.

They left the teal glow of the water behind, and the path went back to the deep purple ground. Beside the path a river flowed, and Marinette felt Chat immediately shrink into himself.

"What's wrong?"

"Can we just, like, run through here?"

Marinette stared at the path ahead, not noticing anything in particular that would upset Chat. "Why?"

"Because there's someone here I'd rather not meet." Something sloshed in the river, and Chat sighed deeply. "Too late."

"So!" a voice called, and Marinette jumped. "The mighty Chat Noir decides to show his face again!"

"It's not like I was in hiding or anything," Chat mumbled.

"And he decided to bring a victim to his poisonous charisma."

"Is he talking about me?" Marinette whisper-asked Chat, raising her eyebrows.

"Apparently," he muttered.

The akuma jumped out of the water, finally revealing himself. Marinette stared. "Why is he dressed like you?"

Before them stood an akuma who wore the exact same body-suit Chat did (minus the bell), his gloved hands on his hips. His hair was darker and longer than Chat's, pulled back into a small pony-tail, and he had dark brown eyes that seemed to glow in the low light.

"Theo, could you leave us alone?"

The Chat-look-alike scowled, turning his head to Marinette. "You shouldn't get too close to this guy, you know."

The whole situation was bizarre. "And why not?" Marinette asked, completely bewildered.

"He lies, cheats, toys with things he shouldn't."

Chat sighed heavily. "Theo, I think it's time for you to go back into the city for follow-up therapy."

"I'm perfectly fine, thank you very much!" Theo protested, turning back to Marinette. "You seem like a nice girl, really. Like the girl I loved."

Marinette took a step back, obviously very guarded.

"And you know, _he_ took her away from me!" he shouted, pointing at Chat.

"I did nothing of the sort!"

"She was healthy, happy!" Theo continued, as if Chat hadn't spoken. "And then he just had to ruin everything by being a part of that _experiment-"_

Chat squeezed Marinette's hand, and then he was running away, pulling her along with him.

"Hey, wait!" she protested, but he didn't stop, and his grip on her hand was too tight for her to let go. Sure, Theo had seemed deranged, but Marinette's curiosity had been piqued.

It wasn't until they had left Theo completely behind when Chat finally stopped running. They were both breathing heavily, but Chat was better had hiding it. He stood straight and tall while Marinette doubled over, trying to get breath back into her lungs.

"What the hell?" she finally gasped, glaring up at Chat. "What was that all about?"

"He wouldn't have left us alone unless we ran," he said with a shrug.

Marinette stood up straight, still breathing a bit heavy, but more interested in what Theo had said than her lungs. "Really? And what about the girl? Or the experiment? What was that?"

He seemed to stiffen just the slightest. "Nothing important."

"It seemed important enough to Theo."

"Theo is unstable," Chat said with a shrug. "He was a human who arrived before all the propaganda against humans, and being around so much magic was too much for him. I don't think he ever got the therapy he deserved."

She didn't fail to notice how he didn't say that Theo had fallen. Theo had _arrived._

"Why was he dressed like you?"

"When akumas transform, their physical form changes to match what their feeling."

"That's not the answer to the question I asked."

Before Marinette could try and press further, her SOUL emerged from her chest, and she cursed under her breath, looking over at the akuma that had appeared before them. The white name floating above its head said 'Shyren.'

In her pocket, the Miraculous Object beeped, and she glared over at Chat. "This conversation isn't over." He pursed his lips, unclipping his baton from behind his back and pressing a paw-shaped button so that it elongated.

The Shyren made a small sound that sounded vaguely like part of a song, but Marinette couldn't quite tell. Its back was turned to her, its mermaid tail twitching nervously.

"Hey, Shyren," Marinette said, trying to make her voice sound as soothing as possible, "how are you?" She reached slowly into her pocket and pulled out the slip of paper, glancing down at the single word printed on it: _Hum._

Her SOUL flitted back and forth between Marinette and Chat, as if waiting for some action while also debating on who to stay close to. Two small and shaky white music notes floated from Shyren, making small sounds as they drifted toward Marinette's SOUL. Her SOUL avoided both music notes easily.

Marinette assumed from the paper that she was supposed to hum a song, but the only song she could think of brought back too many memories. She glanced at Chat, who was standing stoically, his baton at the ready.

She swallowed down the memories and began to hum the song.

Shyren's tail stopped flicking nervously, and its head started to turn to Marinette, but it stopped itself, shrinking back. Marinette took a deep breath and started to hum louder, a lump forming in her throat.

Finally, the Shyren turned to Marinette, and white music notes flowed from its mouth as it started to sing along. Marinette and her SOUL danced easily out of the way while Chat hit any that came near him with his baton.

"Good job!" Marinette said, seeing the Shyren's name turn yellow. The Shyren smiled a little, and then it drifted away. Marinette's SOUL returned to her chest, and both her and Chat stood there for a moment before either of them said anything.

"Marinette," Chat sighed, clicking the paw-button on his baton and watching as it shrunk back to how it had originally been. "I'm really sorry."

He didn't try to explain to her why he wouldn't tell her or why he had acted so strange. He just said 'sorry.'

"You're not going to tell me, are you?"

His shoulders slumped, and he avoided her gaze, clipping his baton to his belt. "I'll tell you when you tell me how you ended up falling into the Ruins."

She took a step back, her hands curling into fists. "That's not fair-"

"Really?" he finally looked at her, and she saw the sadness in his eyes, the weight of it pulling at his whole body.

Her hands relaxed, and she hung her head. What really wasn't fair was that she demanded to know everything about Chat when she wouldn't even give away the slightest of her secrets. "Okay," she said softly. "Tell me when you're ready."

He took a deep breath, and she could see him pulling himself back together. "Thank you."

Marinette looked around, eager to move on. "Where are we, exactly?"

"Somewhere in Waterfall."

"Helpful."

A sign on the wall caught her attention, and she walked over to get a closer look.

 _ **The northern room hides a great treasure.**_

"Treasure?" Marinette asked, turning back to Chat.

"Didn't take you for a treasure hunter," he said, walking over to her and giving the sign a once-over before looking down at her.

"I'm just curious," she said, looking up at him and giving him the barest hints of a smile. It seemed almost like a peace offering, and he accepted, dropping his hand down and lacing their fingers together.

"Well, then we'll just have to check it out."

They proceeded to the northern room, which was bare save for a sign and a piano. "A puzzle," Marinette said, walking over to the piano and running her fingertips lightly over the keys. She'd never learned piano, but she'd always wanted to.

Chat pressed a key, the note ringing clear across the room. He looked up at the wall the piano was pushed up against, where eight small lights in a line were. He pressed the same key again. The first light flashed red. "I think that means I've already done it wrong."

Marinette scoffed. "We have no clues to follow. It'd be a miracle if you _hadn't_ done something wrong."

"Thanks for that pep-talk."

"No problem." She turned her attention to the other side of room, where the sign was. "Maybe that sign gives us a clue." Their hands were still linked together, and she pulled him over to the sign.

 _ **A haunting song echoes down the corridor…**_

 _ **Won't you play along?**_

 _ **Only the first 8 are fine.**_

"Why do I suddenly feel extremely unsettled now?" Chat asked, shivering a bit.

"Because you're a weenie," Marinette replied without missing a single beat. "And I think we have to go down to the corridor. We probably have to play part of the song playing over there."

"You're so smart."

"Just because you flatter me doesn't mean we're not going over there."

"It was worth a try."

She pulled him away from the sign and out of the northern room. He took a deep breath, and Marinette already felt the pun coming. She closed her eyes.

"You know, I really am afraid. One might even say I'm being a _scaredy cat."_ Marinette groaned, and Chat grinned.

As they walked, they passed by a couple signs with what seemed like more information, but Marinette ignored them, keeping her ears alert for any song. The corridor was long and dark, completely void of the glittering gemstones that had littered the walls only a couple of rooms ago.

The corridor widened just the slightest, revealing a plain statue hunched over on one side of the corridor, as if it was sitting with its back resting against the wall. There seemed to be a hole above it, which shone a spotlight onto it, and a steady rain fell from the hole in the ceiling, falling directly onto the statue.

Marinette approached the statue, reaching into the rain and running her fingers down its horns. "What is it supposed to be?" she asked, turning back to Chat and wiping off her hand on her shorts.

"An akuma, most likely," Chat said, leaning closer and narrowing his eyes at the statue. "Though I'm not sure when it was made, or who made it." He glanced up at the hole in the ceiling, where the rain was falling. "Unfortunate placement."

Because of the akuma statue's head, which was lowered, there seemed to be a dry spot in the akuma's lap. The statue's hands were curled together, as if it should be holding something.

"I don't hear any haunting melodies," Chat said, looking around and giving Marinette a shrug.

"I think we have to do something," she said, staring at the statue's hands, and then up at where the rain was coming from. "I think this is where we're supposed to hear the melody."

"Don't forget the 'haunting' part."

Marinette let go of Chat's hand, wandering further down the corridor, where it narrowed again. A waterfall fell from the ceiling and off the path, and gemstones sparkled in the ground. There was a bucket of umbrellas and a sign that said _'Please take one.'_

This seemed to make sense.

She took and umbrella from the bucket, opening it up and walking back to the statue, where Chat was sticking his hand into the rain and swatting at the water droplets.

Something warm blossomed in her heart as she watched him, and she ignored the feeling, nudging him away from the statue. "Move, dummy."

"Why'd you get an umbrella?"

"Hopefully because we need it." She stuck the handle of the umbrella in the statue's curled hands.

As soon as the rain stopped falling on the statue, what sounded like a music box started to play, its tinny notes somehow carrying across the entire corridor. Marinette looked up at Chat, and she saw that their thoughts seemed to be the same.

The melody wasn't creepy, it just felt nostalgic, as if it was trying to pull out all of their old memories and bring them to the front of their minds.

Marinette closed her eyes, focusing on the melody and picking out the first eight notes when the music box started over again.

"I've got it," she whispered, taking Chat by the hand and pulling him back down the corridor and away from the statue and the melody. As soon as they couldn't hear the music box anymore, Marinette turned to Chat. "I have the first eight notes in my mind, but I don't know if I'll be able to get them on the piano."

They walked over to the treasure room again, Marinette trying her hardest not to lose the melody. "Don't worry about that. If you've got it, I can play it."

He let go of her hand and stood in front of the piano, placing his gloved hands on the keys, the nails attached to the tips of his gloves clicking softly. It was as if he'd done it a million times before, and Marinette was struck once again by how unbelievably _soft_ he seemed.

Chat closed his eyes, pressing some of the keys. A small smile pulled at his lips. He opened his eyes, looking over at Marinette. "Sing it."

"What?"

"Sing me the melody."

Marinette blushed, singing the melody softly, feeling a bit embarrassed. Chat closed his eyes again, his eyebrows furrowing in concentration. When she was done, he pressed a key, and the first light flashed a bright green. He pressed the next key, and the next light flashed green. On the third key, he paused, then pressed a key slowly, hesitantly. The light flashed red.

"Sing it to me again," he said, opening his eyes and looking over at her. "Louder this time, please." This time, when she sang him the melody (louder than before), he watched her as she did so, his eyes focusing on her lips, as if that would make him understand better.

She tried not to let that get to her.

It took a couple more tries, each of which seemed to fluster Marinette a little bit more, but Chat finally got it, his fingers dancing over the keys and perfectly imitating the melody from the statue. A rumbling sound cut off the last ring of the melody, filling up the entire room, and they looked over at the farthest wall in the room, which now had a door-shaped hole in it.

Marinette looked over at Chat. "I didn't think you'd be so good at piano."

He played a little tune on the piano, not even looking at the keys, instead looking at Marinette and giving her a grin. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"It is one," Marinette assured, watching his fingers in awe. "I've always wanted to learn."

"Maybe someday I'll teach you."

"That'd be nice."

Chat stared at her, his fingers fumbling over piano keys for the first time in a really long time. He felt his face grow hot, and he took his hands off the piano, looking down at the ground instead of her face in an effort to get himself under control. He wasn't sure how he'd been looking at Marinette until now, but he was suddenly very struck by how _soft_ she looked. Like she could melt in his hands.

"T-treasure!" Chat exclaimed, ripping his mind away from strange thoughts. "There's the treasure."

She raised an eyebrow, seemingly unaware of how much she affected him. "Right, of course."

The treasure room, as it turned out, was almost completely bare. There was only a small pedestal with a red orb resting on top of it. The runes on the pedestal were completely unrecognizable to Marinette, and she turned to Chat, hoping he could decipher it.

He squinted at the runes, trailing a fingertip over the engravings. "This isn't any language I've seen before. Then again, I'm not a language expert. Maybe I could ask Sabrina-" He cut off midsentence, hissing quite loudly at the white dog which had appeared at their feet.

"Hey, doggy," Marinette said, petting the dog, "how are you?"

Chat hissed again.

The dog jumped onto the pedestal, sitting directly on top of the red orb and panting loudly. "Pup, you're not supposed to be on there," Marinette chided, wrapping her arms around the dog and pulling it off the pedestal.

The orb was gone.

"That _thing_ absorbed the artifact!" Chat exclaimed, his teeth bared. The dog licked Marinette's face sloppily, then jumped out of her arms, knocking over Chat as it bounded out of the room.

Marinette looked over at Chat. His hair had poofed up, and his ears were flattened against his head. "I feel like you may have overreacted."

"Overreacted? That thing tried to kill me! _And_ it took the artifact!" Marinette found it very hard to take him seriously with his hair all poofy.

"The most it did was make our journey for treasure pointless," she said with a shrug. "It would've been nice to know what that artifact was all about, but I think if it can be absorbed into a dog, then it's not my business."

Chat seemed to have calmed himself down a bit; his hair was returning to its normal size. "Isn't your curiosity a defining personality trait of yours? Aren't you curious?"

She felt that itch at the back of her mind, and she knew she wasn't at all satisfied with just letting the dog go. But she shrugged anyway, ignoring the itch. "You know the saying. Curiosity killed the cat."

"But satisfaction brought it back."

"I'm not going to risk it." She offered him a hand to help him stand up again, and he visibly cringed at the sight of the dog residue on her. But he took her hand anyway.

They walked back through the corridor, and they passed by the signs again. Marinette didn't want to take the time to stop and read them, not when she now knew that the information was twisted, but she did glance at what the signs said as she walked by.

They said some stuff about akumas whose SOULs were powerful enough to subsist after death, which wasn't common. How humans could potentially take that SOUL, but it had never happened.

For some reason, it gave Marinette the chills.

The statue was still playing its song, the rain hitting the umbrella a nice white noise to accompany the melody.

As they passed by the umbrella bucket, Marinette paused, letting Chat go on ahead. She knew that the chances of needing an umbrella underground were near zero, but she still took one just in case. It was just a plain black one, and Marinette swung it back and forth as she walked to catch up with Chat.

The corridor widened to an actual path, and the ceiling was too high up to see. The sudden downpour of rain caught them both by surprise, and Chat let out a small yelp, shielding his head with his arms, though it wasn't doing much good.

Marinette opened up the plain black umbrella, offering it to Chat. She'd never been one to dislike the rain.

Chat stared at her, his eyes fixed on the rain droplets running down her cheeks and dripping from her hair, on the way her lips were turned up just the slightest and the soft look in her eyes.

Slowly, he stepped under the umbrella, still watching her as if she was the prettiest thing he'd ever seen. "Come here," he said softly, not taking the umbrella from her hand.

She raised an eyebrow. A rain droplet fell from her eyelashes. "We'll have to walk close if we share it."

He tentatively wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her under the umbrella as well.

"That's okay."


	25. Chapter 24

The rain was loud in Marinette's ears, and so was her heartbeat. She could feel the heat of Chat's hand seeping through her sweater and into her waist, filling her veins with a warm and jittery feeling.

He was holding the umbrella with his other hand, which meant that both of his hands were occupied. Marinette, who had the unfortunate luck to _not_ have both hands occupied, had to figure out the heck to do with her other hand. She ended up fiddling with the stray slips of paper in her pocket, trying to keep her heartbeat under control.

Chat's shoulder was getting wet. Marinette didn't seem to notice, and he was glad she didn't. He didn't want her to insist he keep the umbrella completely for himself or something dumb like that.

Besides, he hardly noticed the wet feeling on his shoulder. It was nothing compared to the feeling he got with Marinette's side pressed up against his. She was a bit on the shorter side; her head went just above his shoulder, and he thought it was the most endearing thing. He liked how easily she fit into him.

"Where'd you guys get the umbrella?"

Marinette gave a little squeak, whipping her head around to look at Manon, who was huddled by the wall, holding her hands above her head in an effort to shield herself from the rain.

"Manon!" Chat said, turning and giving a stern glance at her, while still keeping the umbrella mainly on Marinette. "I thought I told you to go home."

"You sure did," Manon answered, rolling her eyes. "That doesn't mean I have to do what you say." She turned, summoning her best puppy eyes for Marinette. "But Marinette says I can stay, right?" Her dripping pigtails and overall lost-puppy-in-the-rain look really sold the con.

As it turned out, Marinette was extremely weak to puppy eyes. "Yeah," she said weakly. "She can stay."

"Marinette-"

"It'll be more dangerous for her to go home alone," Marinette reasoned, "right?"

Chat didn't look happy about it, but he agreed. "We only have one umbrella, though."

"You two can share. I don't mind the rain anyway," Marinette said, stepping out of Chat's embrace (though neither of them liked the sudden cold they felt after being separated). She pulled Manon over so that she was under the umbrella.

"But I wanted to share with _you,_ Marinette," Manon whined, glaring at Chat.

"Looks like we have something in common," Chat muttered under his breath, too quiet for either of the girls to hear.

"Cats don't like the rain. So Chat has to be under the umbrella or else he'll cry."

Manon looked at Chat as if she were seriously contemplating the idea of pushing Chat out from under the umbrella just to see him cry. Then she shrugged. "Alright."

Marinette glanced over at Chat before she went to walk by Manon, and in that split second, she noticed his shoulder, which was absolutely soaked. Something warm stirred inside her heart.

"Alya is _so_ cool, right?" Manon said after a few minutes of walking. By that time, Marinette was already extremely soaked, but she didn't mind too much.

"Right," she answered. Chat glanced over at her, but her expression was completely neutral.

Sometime between then and the next time Manon spoke, Marinette ended up holding Manon's hand, and Manon held on to the end of Chat's tail.

"You know," Manon started, looking up at Marinette, "King Plagg visited my school once. We had to call him 'Mr. Plagg.' He was nice, sort of. Kind of little," she said, letting go of Chat's tail for a moment to make a gesture with her finger to show how little the king was before grabbing Chat's tail again. She paused, stomping her foot into a puddle. "And that got me thinking. Would if Alya visited the school? That would be so cool!"

"Yeah?"

"Yeah! She could beat up everyone, but probably only the bullies and boring teachers since she doesn't beat up innocent people." Again, Chat glanced at Marinette, but her expression was still relatively neutral. He wondered if he'd ever be able to read her expression.

The rain started to thin out, and the corridor they were walked down expanded, the walls extending so wide, that it was hard to see them in the low light. Far away, a town glowed, buildings reaching far up into the sky of the Underground. And amongst it all, a castle towered over everything, its imposing grandeur sending a shiver down Marinette's spine.

Manon darted out from underneath the umbrella, catching rain droplets on her tongue and stomping in puddles. Both Chat and Marinette stopped walking, standing side by side and staring at the castle.

Slowly, Chat lowered the umbrella, letting the point of it brush against the ground. "I forget sometimes how vast the kingdom is," he said softly. When Marinette glanced over at him, she saw the awe in his eyes.

"Is that where I have to go?" she asked, nodding her head to the castle.

"Yeah."

Silence descended over them, creating a film as thin as the clothes sticking to their skin. Water dripped into Marinette's eye, and she rubbed at it absently.

"Remember when we first met?"

Chat looked over at her, but she was still staring at the castle. "Of course I do."

"And how you could disappear without leaving a trace?"

Manon let out a shriek of joy as she stomped into a large puddle, sending rainwater flying in all directions. Guilt tugged at Chat's heart. "I'm still very sorry about that. I know I should've warned you-"

"I need you to do that again."

"What?"

Finally, Marinette looked at him, and her expression was a mask of determination. Whatever it was she was planning, he had little chance of convincing her out of it. "I need you to disappear without a trace. Probably soon."

"Why?"

"I'll probably be meeting Alya soon. And that means she'll want to fight me or something like that, and I don't want you getting caught in the crossfire."

His grip on the umbrella grew tighter, and he stuck a hand on his chest, giving her that look that said she was being ridiculous in the worst way. "I can defend myself, you know! I was training to be part of the Royal Guard before you came along. If anything, I should be as close to you as possible so that I can make sure _you_ don't get hurt."

She crossed her arms. "In case you haven't noticed, I've survived this long." She said the word 'survived' carefully, as if she rolled it around her mouth before letting herself say it. "And this isn't about whether or not I think you're capable."

"Then what is it about then?" His was angry, she could tell, and she sighed, taking his hand and giving it a squeeze.

"I know you're capable, and I know you're strong. But you're also still part of the Royal Guard, or at least involved with them. Alya probably knows that. If you were caught defending me, I won't be the only one they want dead." Her voice was even, logical, and Chat couldn't stand how her expression was the same.

"You think I care about that? I've never been one to advocate for the destruction of the human race; I never liked this stupid new agenda! I would happily send my reputation up in smoke to protect what I think is right, to protect _you."_

They were trying to keep their voices down, for fear of letting Manon know that not everything was as wonderful as she thought it was. But Marinette could still hear the burning tone of his voice, and every word scorched her to the bone. But she remained resilient.

"What about Nino?" she asked, and Chat's defiance went down about five notches.

"What about Nino?" he asked, trying to keep up the stubborn hero shtick, but she could hear the uncertainty in his voice.

"Nino is also associated with the Royal Guard – to help _you,_ I believe. If you recklessly help me along where Alya can see, you're not only endangering yourself, but Nino, as well. Nino is _your_ best friend. People will have to go after him just to see if he is also as amazingly stupid as you are."

"So I'm stupid for helping you?"

"Of course you are."

"No one would go after Nino."

"Are you absolutely sure?"

The split second hesitation on Chat's face was just enough to convince Marinette he knew she was right. "As soon as there is any hint of Alya nearby, you have to disappear. If not for your sake, then Nino's," she said softly, giving his hand another squeeze. "I need you two to stay safe."

Finally, his defiance cracked. His shoulders slumped, and he hung his head. "And what about you? Would if I need you to stay safe?"

"You'll just have to trust me."

Chat looked down at his hand, which Marinette was holding loosely. He let out a sigh, pulling her closer and tugging his hand from hers so that he could hug her easily. "You must be real tired of me always being so worried about you," he whispered into her hair, squeezing her tight.

Something caught in the back of Marinette's throat, and she pressed her face into his chest, wrapping her arms around him. "I don't mind."

They stayed wrapped in their hug until Manon stomped in a puddle right next to their legs. Marinette pulled away from Chat, raising an eyebrow at Manon.

"You guys looked so sad," she said with a shrug. "I don't like seeing people sad."

"So your solution was to splash water on us?" Chat asked, crossing his arms and giving Manon a look.

She just shrugged again.

"Thanks, Manon," Marinette said, taking Manon's hand and starting to walk. "Now I'm not sad at all." The two walked hand in hand, jumping in puddles together and laughing. Chat watched them, a smile tugging at his lips as he closed the umbrella and walked after them, kicking at puddles as he went.

They hadn't gotten very far before a tall ledge blocked the path. No one could climb up by themselves, which meant that someone had to be left behind.

Chat chewed at his bottom lip, staring up at the ledge. "I could help you two up, and then try and use my baton to get up by myself," he suggested, sticking the umbrella in a bucket of umbrellas nearby.

"It could work," Marinette said, looking up at the ledge.

"Up you go, then," he said, kneeling down by the ledge and lacing his fingers together to make a foot hold.

"Manon should go first."

"I can throw her up, and you can catch her."

Marinette looked down at Manon, who shrugged. "It could be fun."

And so Marinette went up first.

She placed her foot in Chat's hand, reaching her hands up to the edge of the ledge. He lifted her as easily as if she were just a sack of flour, and she squeaked a bit before getting a hold of herself and grabbing the ledge to pull herself up. As soon as she stood up, a feeling of dread sunk into her stomach.

The path led off into darkness.

"Chat," she said, looking down at him as he was starting to pick up Manon.

He looked up at her. "What's up?"

She tried her best to convey the dreadand anxiety twisting her stomach through her expression. "I actually think it'd be best if Manon were to go home right now."

Manon let out a noise of protest. "What? Marinette, you were the one who said I could stay!"

"I know, but it might be dangerous," she said, flicking her eyes pointedly to Chat.

He finally seemed to understand. "Manon, I think Marinette is right. I should take you home."

"What's up there?" Manon demanded, jumping up and down in an effort to try and see over the ledge.

"Nothing, really," Marinette promised.

"Than why can't I go?"

"Isn't your mom probably really worried right now?" Marinette asked, trying to ignore the puppy eyes Manon was giving her. "You should at least explain to your mom where you've been."

Manon pouted, but finally seemed to agree. "Fine. But I'll find a way back." She stomped off in the direction they had come, her arms crossed.

Chat looked up at Marinette, mouthing the words 'be safe.' She nodded, and he ran off after Manon.

Marinette turned, taking a deep breath to calm her sudden nerves. Logically speaking, there was no guarantee Alya was anywhere in the path ahead of her, but there had to be some reason for the unsettled feeling in the pit of her stomach. She'd rather pay attention to that feeling than ignore it and let Manon get hurt.

She walked forward, alone.

In the next corridor, two signs glowed on the wall, and a glittering save point sat on the floor between the signs. The save point, if anything, was a hint that something major was about to happen.

Before paying any attention to the signs, Marinette walked forward, touching a finger to the save point.

The already low-lit corridor seemed all the more eerie now that it was in black and white. Marinette scanned the save message.

 _ **The serene sound of a distant music box…**_

 _ **It fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Not wanting to spend another moment in the stillness surrounding her, she pressed the 'yes' button and watched as the world flooded with color once again.

Closing her eyes, she listened to the sound of rain coming from the past corridor, and, if she listened hard enough, she could hear the faint sounds of the music box melody from the statue. Sure enough, it did seem to strengthen her just the slightest.

The signs on the wall continued the story of powerful humans scared of akuma power, but now that Chat had told her the signs were propaganda, Marinette only glanced at them before she continued.

Only the last line of the second sign jumped out at her, and it only seemed to make her more unsettled.

… _ **countless akumas turned to dust.**_

She shivered, walking faster.

In the next area, wooden planks greeted her along with long shadows thrown about by the eerie glow given off by lanterns lined up along the maze-like deck that spanned before her.

Her shadow quivered in front of her as she walked.

Just as she was about to dismiss the area as being only creepy and not housing anything dangerous, her SOUL emerged from her chest and a purple pause button appeared in the ground in front of her. Marinette only just managed to keep herself from stepping on it as she wrapped her hands around her SOUL.

A long spear erupted vertically from the pause button, and Marinette stumbled back, whipping her head around to find Alya, who was standing on a deck that shadowed the one Marinette was on.

For a moment, their eyes met, and it was almost like Marinette could actually try to talk Alya out of attacking her. But then Alya pointed her spear at the deck Marinette was standing on, and pause buttons appeared all around her, spears shooting up from the buttons.

And so Marinette ran.

The only problem with this brilliant plan was that it was too dark to see clearly, and the deck was sprawled out in a sort of maze. The lanterns aided her vision only as much to help see a couple feet in front of her.

Pause buttons surrounded her feet, and she pulled herself to a stop, closing her eyes tight as she felt the air by her ears get sliced open by the spears around her. She clutched her SOUL tightly to herself, and the moment she heard the spears retract into the pause buttons again, she started to run again.

She was running blindly, her heart beating erratically, her breath tearing at her lungs, her feet dancing to keep herself away from the buttons constantly surrounding her.

But then she ran into a dead end, and she turned, only to have planted her left foot directly into a pause button. She tried her best to pry herself out before the spear erupted from the button, but she was stuck fast. Tears pricked at her eyes at the thought of a spear going straight through her leg, but that never happened.

Instead, the spears from the buttons around her lashed out at her leg, slicing her skin and reaching desperately for her hands, which still clutched her SOUL tight. She held her hands higher, squeezing her eyes shut and biting her lip to keep from crying out as again and again her leg was slashed at.

When the spears retracted into the buttons once more, she took off again, feeling the blood run down her leg and soak into her sock. She was running with an obvious limp, and the pain was slowing her down considerably, but she still ran.

A pause button appeared directly under her left foot, but she was too slow on that leg to swerve around it, and her foot fell onto the pause button. Tears ran down her cheeks, and she closed her eyes once more, bracing herself.

The spears didn't fail to deliver.

Again and again, they slashed at any skin that wasn't already injured, and Marinette bit so hard on her bottom lip that it started to bleed.

But still, when the spears retracted, she ran.

It hurt bad, and it was hard to breathe after running so long, but she pushed herself further and further. She held her SOUL close to her chest, sobbing assurances to it as best as she could.

She only realized she had run into another dead end until she was about to fall over the edge.

Fatigue pulled at her shoulders, and she'd lost a lot of blood. Her left leg stung like crazy, and it hurt to even put the slightest of pressure on it. There was no use in trying to run again. So she turned around, holding her SOUL loosely in her trembling hands, and waited for Alya to find her.

Soon enough, Alya walked forward, her armor clanking softly as she did so. For a moment, they stared at each other. Marinette lifted her chin and stood as tall as she could.

Alya raised her spear. Marinette braced herself.

Instead of killing her with a slash of her spear, Alya struck the deck between her and Marinette.

And suddenly Marinette was falling.

Marinette vaguely felt her SOUL seep back into her body, but she was too focused on watching Alya grow smaller and smaller as her body fell through the still air. Then Alya disappeared and Marinette was watching nothing, a strange sort of calm over her heart. Blood droplets seemed to fall up as she fell down.

She landed ungracefully, and her vision wavered as her leg and pretty much everything else throbbed painfully. She thought she could see flickers of movement around her, but she couldn't be sure. She felt blood dribble down her chin from the cut on her lip.

She wondered if she'd die there. Everything went black.

 _I didn't think people like you could be so clumsy. Are you okay? Everyone already knows your name, huh? Must be nice…_

 _ **. . .**_


	26. Chapter 25

She came to slowly.

First, she became aware that she was in pain. A lot of it. And that she was lying on soft ground, which somehow still hurt.

There was the fluttering of wings around her, and she started to feel unsettled, though she didn't know why. Slowly, her eyes creaked open, and she felt how tight the skin around her eyes and cheeks were. She'd been crying, apparently.

As her vision came into focus, purple butterflies swam into view.

And suddenly she was wide awake.

She scrambled into a sitting position, every muscle in her body screaming in protest. A butterfly landed on her hand, and she swatted it away, her stomach churning with fear.

The last time she'd seen such friendly and oddly colored butterflies, she met someone who tried to kill her.

The butterflies almost seemed to sense her uneasiness, and they gathered into a mass, fluttering far away from her until they were out of sight. She watched them go, her guard raised, her body tensed in case a fight was near.

But nothing happened, and the more she waited, the more the pain returned to her.

Her body hurt from the fall, and her leg was coated with scratches and cuts, some still oozing blood. She blinked away tears, reaching her scarred hands out at her leg, but not daring to touch it. _This probably isn't good._

If anything, she knew she hadn't died for the fourth time.

 _Where's Chat?_

Obviously, she knew she couldn't rely on him for everything, but she had to know if he was okay. She had to know if she'd made the right choice in sending him away.

Her leg was just a mass of pain, and her vision started to blur again. She'd have to eat something, or else she'd…

She blinked, furrowing her eyebrows as she tried to get her shaking hands under control. Reaching for her pocket was suddenly such a chore.

Not for the first time, she felt herself start to fall back. Her eyes started to close. Blood loss was no laughing matter, apparently.

She could use a rest anyway.

A blurred person in a glimmering red bodysuit stood a few feet ahead of Marinette, staring at the clusters of purple butterflies flying through the air. Somehow, the person looked just the slightest bit sharper than before.

"It's you," she said, and the person turned. If she squinted, she thought she could make out curls of blonde hair. But within a second, it was gone.

"W-why are you here?" the person asked, their voice flustered and confused.

"I passed out," she said, looking down at her leg. Even here, in the endless expanse of white, the cuts on her leg dripped blood. "I might die if I don't wake up."

The person placed a hand on their forehead, looking around at the purple butterflies. "Who am I?"

"I would've thought you knew."

"I don't…" The person trailed off, watching as a purple butterfly made its way over to her. Here, the butterflies didn't fill her with fear. "I don't know. I just know how to help you."

"Is that why you never told me who you were?" she asked, offering a finger for the butterfly to land on. It settled on her finger, its beautiful wings fluttering slowly and gently.

"It was never important."

"Then why is it now?"

"Everyone knows my name," the person whispered, and the butterflies swarmed around them. "Who am I?"

"I don't know," she answered, utterly baffled.

"Do you hear that?" The person turned at the slightest hint of a whisper, one that she would've missed if they hadn't pointed it out.

She strained her ears, but the whisper was apparently only a one-time thing.

The person turned away from her once more, and the butterflies increased in number, swirling faster and faster around them until all she could see were the fluttering purple wings.

And then the person was gone.

"Who am I?" she gasped, her mind snapping awake.

Her entire body felt sore, and the world was blurry. Something in her brain had yet to click, and she was feeling confused and out of place.

The world started to focus, and off to her left, she saw a boy kneeling on the soft patch of ground beside her, his green eyes wide. His cat ears twitched, and he leaned forward, the bell attached to the zipper of his suit tinkling softly. His gloved hands reach for her face, and, surprisingly, she felt no need to lean away.

"Marinette," he breathed, her name dancing off his tongue and into her ears. As his hands touched her cheeks, she closed her eyes. "You're awake."

Apparently, if she was aware she was awake, she was aware she was in pain.

A low hiss escaped her mouth, and he immediately pulled away, holding her at arms' length. "It hurts, right?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing with worry. "It looks bad, Marinette. It looks really bad."

She nodded, squeezing her eyes shut, her shaking hands digging into the ground.

"Do you want me to wrap it?" Before she could even think about nodding, he reached into her pocket and pulled out her yo-yo. "I'm going to wrap it." He opened up the storage compartment, pulling out the last shreds of the pink cave skirt. Before he closed the compartment, he pulled out a bicicle, handing her half of it. "Suck on this while I tidy up your leg. Let me know if you need the other half."

Taking the unicicle, she finally looked around at her surroundings. She seemed to be in some sort of shallow river, a small wooden pathway trailing off from the patch of ground she was sitting on. To her right, a waterfall fell from high above, its water splashing softly and gently into the shallow river.

The unicicle, as it turned out, tasted like coconut crème pie. As she ate more of the sweet treat, the pain in her leg started to subside, but it didn't exactly go away after she'd finished it.

She watched the cat boy tenderly wrap the pink cloth around her leg, one strip at a time. He was working diligently, and she liked the way his fingers, although gloved, seemed soft and nice any time they brushed against her injured skin.

A surge of emotion ran through her, and she reached a hand out, brushing her knuckles against his cheek. "Chat," she whispered, and the confused feeling she'd had since she'd woken up disappeared.

Marinette was awake.

Chat looked up at her, raising his eyebrows. "What do you need?"

Her hands brushed against the domino mask on his face, and he closed his eyes, letting her hands roam across his face. She ran her fingers through his hair, and then felt his cat ears.

"You're okay, right?" she finally asked, and she felt like herself again.

"I should ask you the same question."

"You'd already know the answer."

"Would I?"

She let out a breathy laugh, retracting her hands from him and leaning back. "You'd know the answer that I'd say and the answer that's true."

"Fair enough." He finished wrapping her leg, and he moved to sit next to her, sighing softly. "I wish you hadn't told me to leave." He took her hand, tracing one of her many scars. "I don't like you getting hurt."

"It was the right thing to do and you know it," she said, bumping her shoulder against his. "I need you to be safe. And besides, Manon was there, too. Someone had to take her home."

He took a deep breath as if to say something in protest, but then he sighed, lowering her hand to his lap. "I know," he said, playing with her fingers. "I know."

She was feeling a bit tired again, but she forced herself to stay awake for just a little longer, watching him sulk for a bit. "How'd you find me?" she finally asked, and he looked up at her, biting his lip.

"I waited for a while. In a place you would've come across eventually if you'd made it out unscathed." He paused, looking down at her hand again, and then holding it tightly within his. "And then I got scared. So I looked everywhere."

"Everywhere?"

"Everywhere," he said, nodding his head. "I finally found you here, passed out and bloody, and I…. It had taken me a while to find you, and I thought that I was too late." She thought about what she must've looked like, with her limbs sprawled out and her leg badly injured. She must've looked dead.

"I'm sorry," she said, although she wasn't sure why she was apologizing,

Chat shook his head, giving her hand a squeeze. "I could feel your heart beating, so I knew you were only… unconscious. So I waited for you to wake up or…"

"Die?"

He gave her that look that said she was right, but he didn't want to say so. "I'm glad you made it out."

She slumped against him, letting out a sigh and closing her eyes. "Yeah. Me too."

The next time Marinette woke up, she felt less like shit than before. And somehow, her head had ended up on Chat's thigh.

She stared up at Chat, who was playing with the ends of her hair and looking off somewhere in the distance. As far as she knew, there wasn't anything in particular to look at in the place they were in, so she wondered what exactly he was thinking about.

It took him a while to notice she was awake and staring at him.

His eyes widened in surprise, and his face sort of got a bit red, but then his features softened. His lips pulled up into a smile, and he relaxed just enough for Marinette to notice. "You're awake," he said, his fingers still fiddling with the ends of her hair. "How do you feel?"

"Less shitty," she admitted, and he snorted out a laugh. She flexed her left leg, testing how it felt. "Still hurts," she said, wincing a little as pain shot up her leg.

"Do you want the other half of the bicicle?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"No," she said, shaking her head. "I'll be okay." He nodded, but he didn't look happy about it. She watched him as he slipped back into his thoughts; she watched the subtle change in his expression from worry about her safety to something that made his eyes soften and his lips twitch up just the slightest. "What are you thinking about?" she asked, her heart warming at the sight of his soft expression.

"How much I" – he paused for a split second, a breath escaping his lips as he grinned at her – "care for you."

Her heart fluttered, and she scowled at him. _Not fair at all._

"What's that face for, bug?"

"Nothing," she said, sitting up and flicking his nose. "Just thinking about how much I _care_ for you." He raised his eyebrows, and she stuck her tongue out at him. Was she being childish? Yes.

But he couldn't just make faces like that and say stuff like that without _consequences._

He rolled his eyes, standing up and offering her a hand. She took it and leaned heavily on him as she stood up, wincing a little when she tried to put weight on her leg. The playful air around him immediately disappeared as he saw her in pain, and his grip on her tightened. "Are you sure you're okay? You don't need the other half of the bicicle?"

She looked down at her leg, chewing on her lip. There didn't seem to be any fresh blood showing up on the bandages, which meant she could last a bit longer without having to eat anything. "I'm okay for now," she promised, leaning on her leg a little and suppressing the urge to wince again. "Where are we, anyway?"

It looked like he wasn't convinced that she was telling the truth, but he didn't say anything about it. "The trash dumps," he said, taking a look around as if to confirm what he'd said. "If we go through them, we should end up in town after a bit of walking." He glanced down at her leg as he said this, and she leaned on it just a bit more, even though it hurt a little to do so.

"Guess we better start walking then."

"Are you sure?" he said, chewing on his lip, and looking at her with concern.

"I'm sure, _mom._ We can't stay in the trash dumps forever, can we?"

He didn't look at all happy about it, but he started forward on the wooden path that branched out from the ground they had been on, and she leaned on him as they walked. It didn't hurt at all like it had when she had been running from Alya, more like a dull throb with every step, and she was thankful for it.

The wooden path cut off into the water, and Chat stepped down into the water first, wrapping an arm around Marinette's waist. "Careful," he said, helping her take the step down and holding her tighter than she thought she needed. But she didn't mind that much.

He kept his arm around her waist as they waded through the water, his fingers pressing into her side. Her boots sloshed softly in the water, splashing tiny water droplets onto her legs. The cold water felt nice against her throbbing leg.

Chat watched as Marinette, stared down at her boots, purposefully splashing her feet through the water. A smile grew on his face, and he felt a fluttery feeling go through his chest. "You're like a kid," he said, though he really felt like saying something else.

She looked up at him, pouting a little. "Shut up."

"I didn't say it was bad."

As they continued walking, piles of garbage started to appear clustered up against the walls, the water lapping at the bottoms of the piles. Marinette recognized a few human brands she knew of, as well as a few albums and CDs that humans had apparently thrown away.

Marinette plucked a CD case out of a pile as she walked by, and when Chat gave her a questioning look, she shrugged. "For Nino," she said, pulling the both of them to a stop so that she could put the case into her yo-yo.

Up ahead of them, Marinette caught sight of something glittering in the water. She was just about to pass it off as some ordinary piece of garbage, but as she and Chat drew closer, she recognized the thing for what it was. A save point.

And right now, she sort of needed it.

"I think I see something over there," she said, pulling herself away from Chat and limping over to the save point.

"What is it?" Chat asked, and she pretended to examine it before reaching out to touch it. Within an instant, the world froze.

 _ **The waterfall here seems to flow from the ceiling of the cavern…**_

 _ **Occasionally, a piece of trash will flow through…**_

… _ **and fall into the bottomless abyss below.**_

 _ **Viewing this endless cycle of worthless garbage…**_

 _ **It fills you with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Marinette raised her eyebrows at the message. Weren't the save messages usually two lines or so long? This just felt the slightest bit excessive.

She pressed the 'yes' button.

"Why did you touch it?" Chat demanded the second the world unfroze, and Marinette laughed a little, standing up straight and turning back to him. He had a strange look on his face, as if he had felt something weird, but it was gone within the instant. "It could've been dangerous, you know."

"It wasn't," she said, starting to walk towards him and realizing that her leg felt normal. It didn't hurt at all. "Perfectly safe, in fact," she said, taking her place beside him once more.

He narrowed her eyes at her. "How's your leg?"

"Just peachy."

"Doesn't hurt at all?"

She bit her lip, moving it around a little to test if it really was fully healed. It was. "Maybe still a little bit," she lied.

"You're not limping anymore."

"That's good, right?"

His face relaxed, and he sighed, taking her hand. "Wonderful, actually." He brought her hand up to his mouth, and he kissed one of her scars. "I'm glad you're not in pain anymore."

They continued walking, and Marinette didn't even pretend to be in any sort of pain. Somehow, Chat knew that she was fully healed, and she knew there was no point in trying to convince him otherwise. And it wasn't like he was asking any questions.

A cooler floated in the water in front of them, and Marinette opened the lid, despite Chat's noises of protest.

"There's only a couple pouches of freeze-dried food, scaredy cat," she said, taking one of the pouches and putting it into her yo-yo. "Might as well take one for myself."

"You never know what someone could've-"

"The pouches aren't opened," she said, rolling her eyes.

"Still!"

As they bickered back and forth, they passed by a crudely sewn together dummy, and Marinette paused, staring at the dummy. It reminded her of the dummy that she had seen so long ago back in the Ruins.

Chat stopped talking, looking between her and the dummy. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," Marinette said, staring into the dummy's black eyes for a moment longer. "Just thinking about stuff, I guess."

"Oh," Chat said, giving her hand a squeeze. "Well, if we keep go a bit further, we'll be out of the trash dumps. Do you want to stop for a bit, or…?"

"No, no, it's fine," she promised, pulling them forward. "The sooner we get out of here, the sooner I'll be out of the Underground."

Chat felt something sharp go through his chest, and he cleared his throat. "Right."

They started forward again, but before they could get too far, something splashed in the water behind them. Marinette turned around, something in her mind telling her danger was near.

And she found the dummy staring straight at them, its eyes filled with cruel life, and its wooden bottom hovering a foot above the water.

"Maybe it's friendly," Marinette said, though she knew the possibility was low.

The dummy's eyes flared, and it flew so that it was blocking their way out. It cackled, splashing water at them with its wooden bottom. "Too intimidated to fight me, huh?"

"I don't think it's friendly," Chat said, and Marinette agreed.

"I am a ghost that lives inside a dummy. My cousin also used to live inside a dummy, but then _you_ came along," it said, gesturing at Marinette. This probably wasn't good. "When you talked to them, they thought they were in for a nice chat, but the things you said…! Horrible. Shocking! _Unbelievable!"_

Marinette didn't recall ever saying something horrible, shocking, or unbelievable to a dummy, but she figured then wasn't the best time to mention it.

"It spooked them right out of their dummy! _Human!_ I'll scare your SOUL right out of your body!"

The dummy definitely wasn't friendly.


	27. Chapter 26

Marinette jumped out of the way of a magic attack, shouting a long stream of curse words. The balls of stuffing that had been enchanted to follow her and her SOUL slammed into the wall beside her, making a decent size dent in the rock.

"Pathetic!" the dummy screamed, and Chat pulled out his baton, whacking the dummy in the side. It let out a little _'oof'_ and flew back several yards, skipping like a rock over the shallow water. It glared at Chat as it righted itself. "Fool! I'm a ghost, so physical attacks do nothing to me!"

"Yeah, but it can slow you down." Chat twirled his baton around, his lips pulling back into a fearsome grin that _did things_ to Marinette's heart, literally _and_ metaphorically. Her SOUL shivered a bit, and she gritted her teeth, looking away from him.

"No time for that," she hissed at it.

Chat hit the dummy back and forth, and it summoned more and more magic balls of stuffing, aiming them directly at where Marinette stood. Like missiles, the stuffing balls launched themselves at her, following her as she ran away from them. One of them collided with her forearm and exploded on impact, spraying particles of blood and fuzz everywhere.

She screamed, her legs buckling. Her knees slammed into the ground, sending water droplets flying through the air. She clutched her arm, doubling over as tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped into the water. The countless other magic fuzz balls zoomed above her head, moving straight toward Chat and the dummy.

It might've been the pain, but Marinette saw things in slow motion. She might've screamed Chat's name, but by then he had already grabbed the dummy and held it front of him. The dummy let out a howl, and Chat ducked his head as the magic fuzz missiles exploded. As soon as the magic faded, Chat threw away the dummy, which had become limp, and ran toward Marinette, dropping to his knees in front of her.

"Are you okay?" she asked weakly, trying to ignore the throbbing pain that radiated from her arm, There was a mark on his chin that looked as if he had been burned by some of the magic, but otherwise he looked unharmed.

"Marinette," he breathed, his eyes wild and filled to the brim with worry.

"I'll be okay," she said, pulling her hand off the open wound and immediately wanting to barf. It didn't look good. At all. Her hand was covered with blood, and the skin surrounding the would had turned black from the explosion. She thought she could see a bit of bone peaking out from the mess of red. She tore her eyes away from the gore, swallowing thickly and standing up on shaking legs. "I'll be okay," she repeated, her arm limp at her side.

"You need to heal," Chat said, standing up next to her and gently placing his hand on her shoulder. Her SOUL floated over to him, nuzzling his cheek. Despite how in pain she was, Marinette blushed, glaring at her SOUL.

"I can last a bit longer." The dummy stirred, rising into the air and hovering over the water. "And besides, we don't really have that much time."

"I can hold it off while you heal up," Chat protested, leaning a little closer to her and pleading with her. Her SOUL nudged his cheek affectionately. "Your arm-"

"Hey," Marinette called to the dummy, completely ignoring Chat's protests. "Can't we just talk it out?" Chat sighed, placing himself slightly in front of her. If he couldn't convince her to heal, he might as well protect her to make sure she didn't get hurt again.

"Don't think talking it through will work," Chat muttered to himself, watching the dummy's cold black eyes glitter in the dim light.

The dummy stared at them for what seemed like forever. And then it summoned more magic fuzz balls.

It was at least worth a try.

And so it continued. The dummy kept on summoning more and more magic attacks, and Marinette tried her best to avoid them, but apparently running wasn't her forte. Especially when she now had a hole in her thigh and calf, quite similar to the one in her arm.

When she was lucky, she could lead the missile-like exploding fuzz balls back to the dummy and hit it with them, but it seemed to have little effect. Marinette was running out stamina and patience.

"You have _three holes in your body!"_ exclaimed the dummy, the magic attacks pausing for a moment while he glared at her. "And you're _still_ running. What kind of monster are you?"

Chat stood up straight and whipped his head over to Marinette. He'd been trying to defend himself the whole time, and he hadn't exactly noticed when two explosions had been followed by screams and long streams of curse words. It was almost humorous the way his expression changed from horror to worry to genuine anger within seconds. Marinette couldn't quite tell if he was angrier with her or the dummy.

"Um. The determined kind?"

"Doesn't matter," the dummy said, acting as if she hadn't spoken. "This just means I have to work harder to _end_ you."

"Please don't."

The dummy summoned actual tiny missiles, no fuzz in sight.

"Heal up!" Chat yelled at her.

The only thing she could think to say was: "Please don't yell at me."

"You know," the dummy started, turning to Chat, "you're a real nuisance. I didn't particularly want to kill you, but you're on the human's side." It summoned more tiny missiles, aiming them at Chat. "Sorry cat boy, you're going to have to go. But I'm not really sorry."

The missiles zoomed toward Chat.

Marinette screamed.

She tried run forward, but it was at that exact moment her extremely injured legs decided to give out.

There were flashes of light and explosions as the missiles collided with whatever it was they had hit. Splotches of color obscured her vision, and she instinctively covered her eyes, leaving her SOUL completely defenseless.

When her vision cleared, she saw one missile, flying straight toward her SOUL.

Her body wouldn't move a muscle.

She really should've listened to Chat.

"Marinette!" she heard Chat shout. He was still alive.

The missile collided with her SOUL.

And Marinette died for the fourth time.

The endless expanse of white greeted her the moment she opened her eyes after dying. She looked down at her legs, which looked completely normal; no holes at all. Her arm had also gained feeling and was no longer a bloody mess.

She felt better in death than she did in life.

"How are you doing?" asked a voice from behind her, and Marinette turned, not at all surprised to see the blurry person in red sitting cross-legged and watching a small purple butterfly flutter around in the air in front of them.

"Is that supposed to be a joke? I'm dead."

The person made a little snorting noise, as if they found the statement funny. They still didn't look over at Marinette. "Not what I meant, but sure."

Marinette cocked her head. She expected more resistance. And then she remembered the fall. "Are you okay?"

"Is that supposed to be a joke? I'm dead," the person said, and Marinette frowned. Was _she_ this much of a smart ass?

"Didn't you tell me once that you aren't really dead?"

"Doesn't matter," the person said with a shrug, offering a finger for the butterfly to land on. "I'm not alive."

"Then what are you?"

Something flickered across their face, but Marinette couldn't quite catch it, due to the fact that the person's features were blurred. "I don't know." The purple butterfly landed on their finger.

Anger filled Marinette's heart. She didn't at all know what was going on, but she had the sudden feeling that it had something to do with the purple butterfly. "Stop that," she said, and the person looked up at her.

"Stop what?"

"You're supposed to be the stubborn and omnipotent helper. Whatever this is right now isn't you."

"How would you know? You don't even know my name."

"So what? You don't either."

The person stared at the butterfly, and then gently blew at its wings so that it would fly away. It soon disappeared into nothingness. "You're right. I'm not acting like myself."

"What's wrong?"

"I was confused," they said with a shrug. "But you've made me realize that whatever I've forgotten doesn't matter if I had the nerve to forget it in the first place."

Marinette didn't think that was how that worked, but she was sort of okay with accepting the small improvement in the person's behavior. "You'll be okay, right? Even when I'm gone?"

Something in the person's aura softened, and Marinette couldn't help but think that the person was smiling, even if she couldn't quite see their features. "You're so kind. Stay determined, Marinette."

Marinette opened her eyes to the save message, the world black and white around her. She looked behind her, and, sure enough, Chat was standing there, a look of alarm on his face. She snorted out a laugh and turned back around, pressing the 'yes' button.

"Why did you touch it?" Chat demanded the second the world unfroze. She turned around, shrugging a bit. A strange look crossed his face before he shook his head, seemingly clearing his thoughts. "It could've been dangerous, you know."

"It wasn't," Marinette promised, walking back over to him. Even though her legs were fully healed, it still felt a bit weird to walk on them, given that she'd spent a good amount of time limping. Something must've showed on her face because Chat gave her a concerned look.

"Does your leg still hurt?"

"Nope," Marinette said, and she meant it.

He squinted at her, and she thought that maybe she shouldn't have told the truth. Now that she thought about it, wasn't her leg still hurting a bit back before she'd touched the save point the first time? Dying really did mess up her memory.

"That's good," he said. "I'm glad you're not in pain anymore." Something in his face looked as if he knew more than he let on, but he didn't say anything about it. Marinette was glad he didn't ask any questions.

They continued walking, and they soon passed by the cooler where Marinette had gotten the pouch of freeze-dried food. She opened the lid, ignoring Chat's noises of protest (for the second time).

"What is it with you and touching suspicious things?" he asked, kicking the cooler away so that it drifted away a couple feet.

"What is it with you and being scaredy cat?" Marinette asked, stepping around him and picking up a pouch of freeze-dried food from the cooler. "Some things just aren't dangerous."

"How would you know?"

"I can see the future."

"And in the future, you saw yourself stupidly opening up the cooler and not dying?"

"Exactly."

Marinette stopped walking, staring at the currently inanimate dummy a couple feet ahead of them. Chat stopped next to her, raising his eyebrows. "What's up?"

"That dummy is going to come to life," Marinette said.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"I'm not."

They watched the dummy for a while longer, and Marinette could sense both the dummy and Chat grow uneasy. Just when Marinette thought she'd have to leave the dummy alone in order for it to reveal itself, it let out a frustrated yell, springing to life. Marinette's SOUL emerged from her chest.

"Stupid human! Ruining my dramatic entrance! Stupid, stupid, stupid!"

"Wow, you were right."

"Uh-huh."

The dummy floated in front of them, its beady black eyes glaring at them. "Just because of your insolence, I'll just have to kill you even _harder_ than I already planned to."

"This isn't good."

Magic fuzz balls appeared around the dummy, and Marinette grabbed Chat's hand, tugging on him until he looked at her. "I know that it may be easier for you to try and attack, but you can't do that, okay?"

Chat, who had already been reaching for his baton, frowned, his hand dropping back to his side. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It won't have any affect on the dummy, and if you try and hit those fuzz ball things, they'll explode. I can't have you getting hurt."

"You know I can defend myself."

"I know, I know, but I" – Marinette voice broke a little, thinking of the despair she'd felt when she had thought Chat had gotten hit – "I really need to know that you'll be able to defend yourself properly."

"And how should I do that?"

Before Marinette could answer, the dummy let out an aggravated yell. "Enough talking!" The fuzz balls launched themselves at Marinette and Chat.

"Run!"

Marinette separated from Chat, pushing him so that he'd start running, taking a zigzag path before swinging past the dummy so that the fuzz balls would hit it instead. Catching on, Chat did the same thing, and the dummy cursed, starting to move back and forth.

The fuzz balls started to increase in number, and it became harder to avoid them. But Marinette was getting pretty good at it, until she wasn't.

She screamed as one of the fuzz balls collided with her thigh, falling into the water. Her stamina was running low; running for so long can do that to people, and it seemed like the new hole in her leg hurt a whole lot more than before.

Chat ran over to her, his worry taking up all of his attention. Marinette grit her teeth, waving for him to go away, but he didn't, still continuing to run to her. He dropped to his knees in front of her, his hands gripping her face.

A fuzz ball collided with his side.

"Chat!"

He cried out, his body tensing with the pain, but he didn't let go of her. He took a shaky breath, looking back up at her. "I was going to ask if you were okay, but, shit, this hurts a lot. You aren't okay." A single tear ran down his cheek, and his lips twisted up into a smile.

Marinette felt like kissing him and slapping him at the same time. She did neither.

"You're an absolute idiot," she breathed, and he nodded.

They helped each other stand up, and when they were standing, they leaned heavily on each other. Marinette wondered how she managed to run with two holes in her legs before she died without his support.

The dummy groaned. "Obviously, these dumb things aren't working." The fuzz balls disappeared. "That just means I have to use something _stronger."_

Chat cursed under his breath.

Tiny actual missiles appeared around the dummy, and Marinette braced herself for more running. And then they ran.

It didn't take very long for the dummy to realize that, even though both Chat and Marinette were injured, their tactics for avoiding the missiles were admittedly good. Because their tactic was to limp over to the dummy and let the missiles hit it instead of them.

"These are even worse!" the dummy exclaimed, its seams tearing a little as it flailed around in frustration. "I don't need these anyway," it cried, and the missiles disappeared. "Because I have _knives."_

"How much ability does it _have?"_ Chat muttered, shaking his head a little. "Getting hit by that many magic attacks should've done something to it, at least."

A knife appeared in the air beside the dummy. Marinette felt herself start to shake a little. Magic she could handle. Knives she could not.

The knife launched itself at Chat and Marinette, and they stepped out of the way quite easily. It seemed a bit anti-climactic.

"I'm…" The dummy had the nerve to look a bit sheepish. "I'm out of knives."

"This is getting ridiculous."

"But it doesn't matter," the dummy continued, its hovering becoming erratic. "You can't hurt me, and I can't hurt you! So you'll be stuck here forever!" Marinette and Chat looked at each other, uneasiness settling in their stomachs. "Forever!" the dummy repeated over and over again, cackling manically. "Forever, forever, forever!"

Pure white tear droplets drifted to the dummy, hitting the dummy over and over again, sizzling holes into its cloth. The dummy's cackling dissolved into exclamations of pain. "Wh… What is this?" it cried, looking around at the white tear droplets.

Chat leaned over to Marinette. "Are you doing that?"

"No. Are you?"

"Nope."

"Forget it! Fighting you was lame anyway. I'm out of here!" the dummy cried, escaping the white tear droplets.

A timid ghostly figure appeared in the place where the dummy had been, its feet hovering just above the water. As the figure became clearer and slightly more opaque, Marinette could see a very familiar boy with floppy hair.

"Nathaneal?"


	28. Chapter 27

"Oh," Nathaneal said, seeming to drift away a little. "I didn't mean to interrupt."

"Wait!" Marinette called, forgetting for a moment that she had an extra hole in her body as she broke away from Chat. Immediately after leaving his support, the both of them collapsed, sending a wave of water to flick gently at Nathaneal's feet, which floated an inch or so above the surface.

"I just keep making it worse," Nathaneal whimpered, wincing a little. "I just thought I heard your voice, but…" He trailed off, looking back in the direction he came. "I should probably just go."

"Please don't," Marinette said, trying her best to stand. "You didn't do anything wrong; I promise." Nathaneal was the first real friend Marinette had made in the Underground, and she wasn't eager to see him leave so soon again.

Nathaneal chewed on his lip, looking away from Marinette and seeming to notice Chat for the first time. "Oh, hey, Chat. I didn't know you were here."

"Glad to know my presence isn't as domineering as I thought it was," Chat grunted, clutching his side and offering a grimace to Marinette when she shot a glare back at him. "What, so you're allowed to make snide comments when you're near death, but I'm not?"

"No one's near death, idiot," she hissed. "And I don't do that."

"Yeah. Sure."

Blood loss was making Marinette a bit dizzy, which she figured was probably not good. Nathaneal cocked his head at her, noting the way she glared down at the water in an attempt to regain a bit of focus. "Are you two injured?" he asked after a moment, looking over at Chat, who was also looking a bit dazed.

"Only a little bit," Marinette said, finally gaining enough focus and strength to stand and help Chat struggle to his feet. "We'll be fine if we get some rest and food, though."

"Well…" Nathaneal looked back in the direction he came once more. "Maybe I could help with that."

As it turns out, Nathaneal lived in a somewhat slouching house in Waterfall. He led Chat and Marinette, still leaning heavily on one another, to his house, careful to float slowly so that the both of them could keep up.

"Nino called and said that the two of you would be passing through," Nathaneal rambled, patting his pockets for the key to his front door. Marinette wondered why he needed a key when he was a ghost. "I figured I should keep an eye out, but I didn't notice you guys were already here." He pulled out a ghostly key and stuck it into the keyhole. It didn't seem to do anything. The door creaked open.

"I'm a ghost, so any food I have probably won't help you guys," he said, shrugging a little. He floated into his house, leading them to a living room-like area with what seemed to be two over-stuffed dog beds in the place of a couch. There was no coffee table. "But I can offer you a place to rest."

"This is wonderful, Nathaneal," Marinette said, somewhat collapsing on one of the dog beds and dragging Chat along with her. "Thank you."

Chat let out a soft groan, looking down at the hole in his side and glancing at the amount of blood that had coated his glove. "I'm sorry if we stain anything," he said weakly, trying for a smile.

"I-I could go to one of the shops and get you guys some proper akuma food," Nathaneal offered, glancing worriedly between the two.

"We have some," Marinette said, shifting her weight more to her uninjured leg and pulling out her yo-yo. "But thank you."

He didn't seem satisfied until Chat and Marinette had split a bicicle in half and eaten their respective pieces. The burning pain on Marinette's leg dulled to an ache, and she saw that the hole that had looked in on bare muscle and torn skin had healed to a large, but less scary looking, scab. She looked over at Chat, and saw that the same was true for him, except his scab didn't look as fully healed as Marinette's. She frowned.

Nathaneal seemed to be placated for the moment, though, so he drifted away from them. "Now that you aren't in danger of becoming, well, something like me, I think I should leave you alone to rest," he said somewhat timidly. Though he seemed to be gaining confidence in himself and how he spoke the longer they stayed in his house.

He drifted up the stairs before either Marinette or Chat could say anything else.

Marinette turned to Chat. "Why isn't yours healed like mine?" she asked, pouncing on him the moment Nathaneal was out of sight.

"Seems like my initial wound was worse," he said, pulling a handkerchief out of one of his many zipper pockets and wiping his bloodied hands off. "But it doesn't matter. It feels fine."

"Liar," Marinette said. Chat gave a little shrug. "I've got a unicicle left and that Nice Cream that Stormy gave us back in Snowdin," she said, rooting around in her Miraculous.

Chat shook his head firmly. "Save that for yourself. One solid cat nap and I'll be good as new," he said, putting his hands over Marinette's and making her close the storage compartment. "No good to waste that kind of stuff on me."

"It's not wasting if I want to do it."

Chat gave her a look, and she put the Miraculous away with a sigh. "Fine. But the next time we have the opportunity to stop for food, I'm getting something specifically for you."

"Looking forward to it," Chat replied easily, though he gave a little wince when he flopped back on the fluffy dog bed, turning on the side that wasn't injured. "Speaking of naps," he said, his eyes seeming to close of their own will. "It seems like this cat could use one."

"Don't sleep with one eye open," Marinette warned.

"Ha, very funny," he murmured, the last word drifting off a little as he let himself fall asleep.

Marinette wondered how anyone could fall asleep that quickly.

She was feeling a bit tired herself, but she wasn't about to lay down and immediately pass out like Chat had. And she was never one to look forward to the dreams she would inevitably have.

So instead she got up from the dog bed and wandered around Nathaneal's house, only giving a slight moment's thought to wonder if it was considered rude to do so. That didn't stop her, though.

Her leg throbbed dully every time she had to take a step, but she ignored the slight pain and examined some artwork that had been hung up on Nathaneal's walls. There were portraits and landscapes, all with a sort of whimsical but edged style to them. Marinette liked it.

Aside from the dog beds and artwork, there was really nothing else in the living room. The floor was clean and polished red wood, as if no one had stepped on it before. What with the fact that Nathaneal was a ghost, that was certainly a possibility.

A glance into the connecting doorway that lead to the kitchen told her that the kitchen was also bare like the living room was. There was more artwork on the walls, seeming to center around food, but the stove and countertops were wiped clean and gave off a sort of shining quality. The fridge was covered in drawings done in crayon that didn't match the style of the other pieces, and Marinette assumed they were kids' drawings.

"Nino introduced me to this daycare in the capitol," Nathaneal said from behind her, and Marinette squeaked, jumping a little and letting out a small whine as a bit more weight fell on her injured leg. "Oh, I didn't mean to scare you," he said, his voice soft and timid.

"No, no, it's fine," Marinette said, turning around and shifting her weight onto her uninjured leg.

Nathaneal's gaze flicked down at the scab on the side of her thigh. "That doesn't look good."

"Oh, it's not," she replied without thinking.

His shoulders drew up, and he chewed on his bottom lip, floating into the kitchen and grasping the handle to the fridge. His hand seemed to grow more opaque at the contact to the solid object as he pulled the fridge door open.

"I must have some sort of regular food from one of Nino's or Chat's visits," Nathaneal muttered, taking out several ghostly sandwiches and a few of what looked like sparkly cans of motor oil. Marinette chose not to ask.

Nathaneal's feet rose a couple more feet into the air as he dug deeper into the fridge, his body now horizontal. "I've got" – he pulled himself out of the fridge, still seeming to lay sideways in midair – "I've got a chocolate bar."

"Um." Marinette took the chocolate bar. It was wrapped in sparkly pink foil and only had the initials CB on it. It also seemed to be half-eaten. "Thank you."

Marinette decided to save it for Chat.

Chat dreamed he was fighting the dummy with Marinette again. Except at this point, he knew that his dreams weren't dreams anymore but his mind catching him up on what he missed when a Jump occurred.

He really hated that this was happening again.

Marinette was being her normal stubborn self, refusing to heal up when Chat told her to. His chin was smarting from the burn of a magic attack that he had just managed to block, but he was more concerned with how Marinette's arm seemed to be falling apart.

"You need to heal up," he said, but Marinette refused.

The fight continued, and Chat was so absorbed in trying to defend himself that he didn't notice that Marinette had gotten hurt again until the dummy pointed it out.

"You have _three holes in your body!"_ it yelled, and Chat finally turned to her, a million emotions running through him all at once as he saw the way she was barely able to stand up straight. "What kind of monster are you?"

She let out a little breath, easing her weight more to one side than the other and clutching her injured arm to her chest. "Um. The determined kind?"

"Doesn't matter," the dummy had said, and Marinette cast a glance at Chat, giving him a searching look. "This just means I have to work harder to _end_ you."

"Please don't," she said, tearing her gaze away from Chat to look at the dummy. Chat could feel the dread pool in his gut.

"Heal up!" he called to her, knowing how this would end. He could feel it in the air, in the way Marinette was already having trouble focusing on what was in front of her.

"Please don't yell at me," she near whimpered.

The dummy said something to Chat, but he wasn't listening, trying in vain to figure out a way to get them both out alive. Missiles zoomed its way toward him, but he just twirled his baton and the missiles collided with the metal instead of his skin. He thought he heard a scream that sounded like a mix of his name and absolute despair and something fall into the water, but the explosions from the missiles had blinded him temporarily.

When he was able to see again, Marinette's SOUL was completely defenseless as a missile launched toward it.

"Marinette!" he yelled.

He watched her SOUL explode.

"What were you saying about that daycare?" Marinette asked, keep her voice low as they walked through the living room to get to the stairs that led to Nathaneal's room.

"Oh." He cast a small glance to Chat, who was curled up on one of the dog beds with a slightly troubled expression on his face. "Um, yeah, Nino introduced me to a daycare in the capitol," he repeated, seeming to try and get his thoughts in order.

The staircase led up to only one room, and that was presumably Nathaneal's. More artwork littered the walls, but it seemed to be more personal. There were a whole lot more portraits.

Nathaneal gestured to a pile of pillows in the corner of the room, and Marinette gratefully sank down into a sitting position, thankful to get some stress off her leg. Nathaneal perched carefully on one of the only pieces of furniture in the room: a rolly chair by a long and cluttered wooden desk.

"I was visiting the capitol for one of my annual follow up therapy sessions." He said this casually, and at Marinette's confused stare, his cheeks became more opaque, like he was blushing. "All akumas have to go through them."

"Because of the…?" Marinette's question remained unfinished, but Nathaneal nodded anyway.

"Anyway, at that time Nino was still stationed within the capitol, and we ended up talking a little bit." Nathaneal touched a toe to the floor and twirled the chair back and forth idly. "I said I liked to draw a lot, and he told me about a daycare that was low on staff. Said they'd probably need someone to step in and teach all the kids some arts and crafts."

Marinette tried to imagine Nathaneal around a bunch of kids, all demanding attention. It was a little bit funny.

"I didn't want to at first, but one of my friends convinced me to do it." He did a full rotation on his chair. "She said I didn't get out enough. So, I took the job. And for some reason the kids liked to give me their drawings when I praised them, so I decided to hang them up on the fridge."

"There were a lot of drawings," Marinette said, remembering how the surface of the fridge could hardly be seen underneath the masses of paper. "You must praise them a lot."

Nathaneal's cheeks again seemed to grow opaque. He did two full rotations on his chair. "I like all the drawings they do. And it's only natural to praise a kid's hard work." He shrugged, moving the chair back and forth again. "I go a couple of times a week since I'm only a part-timer, and I show the kids some painting and drawing techniques and then they give me their art."

"That seems fun."

A small smile pulled at his lips and it seemed to tug his whole body into a something that let out a pulse of happiness. "It is."

The quiet that descended over them was something comfortable and warm, and Marinette took the time to gaze at the portraits on the walls. Without getting up, of course.

There was one of Nino, bubble wand in hand, his headphones flipped out and music notes and bubbles surrounding him as he laughed to some joke. Next to his was one of Chat, head resting lazily on his hand as he stared straight out the portrait, his smile hinting that he knew something that Marinette didn't.

Marinette recognized one of Rose, the shopkeeper from Snowdin, standing with a girl she didn't recognize. Next to that one was one of Ali, Rose's friend who owned the Inn in Snowdin. There was also a portrait of Ivan and Mylene, the two akumas responsible for Marinette's first death experience. She didn't really blame them or hold any grudges towards them, though. Under normal circumstances, Marinette thought they may seem like fun people to hang out with.

There were many more of people Marinette didn't recognize, but she still enjoyed looking over Nathaneal's rendering of them. One in particular caught her eye, and something caught in her throat.

It was a portrait of a man in a black and purple tux standing next to a woman in a red bodysuit wearing a red domino mask. Marinette surged to her feet, her eyes fixed to the portrait. The woman and the man seemed to be happy, their arms wrapped around each other, but Marinette couldn't care less about the man. It was the woman who had caught her attention.

She turned to Nathaneal, something inside her making her breathless. "In this portrait, who is-"

"Marinette!" Chat stood at the entrance to Nathaneal's room, the top of the stairs, a look of desperation on his face. He seemed to relax as he saw her though, his whole body seeming to let out a breath. "God, I don't even know what I was thinking when I woke up and you weren't there," he muttered, taking her hand.

She couldn't help but notice that he guided her gently away from the portrait she had been so fascinated with.

"I didn't mean to scare you," Marinette said, her eyes still drawn to that portrait. For the first time, she noticed that the portrait next to the one with the man and the woman was one of Tikki. Suddenly Marinette's heart was heavy. She no longer wanted to look at those portraits.

"Hey, Chat," Nathaneal said, twirling idly on his chair. "We were just sitting and thinking about how much we felt like garbage." Marinette stared at him. He seemed to blush. "Or at least that's what I was doing."

"Did you sleep well?" Marinette asked, sitting down on the cushions again and pulling Chat down with her.

His eyes scanned her face, and he took her hand, squeezing it a little. Marinette understood that he meant that no, he did not sleep well at all. She furrowed her eyebrows and looked at his side. There was no sign of any sort of injury, nor proof that there ever had been one. The leather of his suit looked completely without blemish.

"Have you been working on any new portraits lately?" he asked Nathaneal instead of giving a verbal response to Marinette's question. She pursed her lips, but said nothing.

Nathaneal turned to his desk, sifting through the clutter of CDs, paper, and general art utensils and picked up a thick sheet of paper. The piece looked near finished, the portrait taking on a soft sort of quality because of the water colors and the way the girl's expression was portrayed.

"Is that…?" Chat trailed off, looking between Marinette and the beautiful girl on the paper. Nathaneal nodded, his entire body seeming to grow more solid as if he was blushing all over.

"That's me?" Marinette asked, leaning closer and scrunching her nose up. The girl was far too beautiful to resemble Marinette at all. "It can't be."

"Of course it is," Chat said, taking the paper from Nathaneal and showing it to her so that she'd get a closer look. "It's the spitting image."

"I try not to glorify anything," Nathaneal piped up, his cheeks very opaque.

Marinette wasn't convinced.

The girl in the portrait did in fact resemble her, sure, but she was wearing the clothes that Marinette had fallen in when she first came to the Underground. It didn't seem like those clothes really fit the current Marinette anymore. In both a physical way and a metaphorical way. Not to mention that the girl looked happy, her hand reaching for the person on the other side of the portrait. If the girl in the portrait really was Marinette, she had no idea she could make an expression so content.

"It's from when I first saw you. Back in the Ruins," Nathaneal said, getting up from his chair and taking the portrait. "Now that I've seen you again, I don't think it matches you well enough," he said, chewing at the inside of his cheek and giving the portrait a scrutinizing look.

Chat was staring at Marinette, as if trying to see the girl in the portrait in her. Marinette wondered if he could see it.

"You seem different now," Nathaneal said, almost as if to himself. "Not bad different. Just more…" He paused, holding the portrait up and looking between it and Marinette. "More like you know where you want to go."

He opened a drawer in his desk, revealing a bunch of unfinished portraits. Marinette got a glimpse of one of a neon-colored robot girl. She also thought she caught a glimpse of one of Chat in a lab coat, but she couldn't be sure.

Setting the unfinished portrait of Marinette in with the other unfinished ones, Nathaneal turned back to his desk and sifted through the miscellaneous items to find a blank canvas. "I'll start another one," he said to no one in particular.

"You haven't rested," Chat whispered when it was clear Nathaneal wasn't interested in conversation anymore.

"I wasn't tired," Marinette whispered back. "And where did your injury go? Don't think I haven't noticed," she said, noticing the indignant look on his face. "I even saved a chocolate bar for you."

She pulled out the half-eaten chocolate bar in the shimmery pink wrapping paper. Chat made a face.

"Were you the one that ate the other half of it?" he asked, taking the chocolate bar gingerly and peeling away the paper. It looked like flakes of glitter were actually inside the chocolate.

"Nope."

He set aside the chocolate bar. "Then forgive me for not trusting an already dodgy brand of chocolate." He seemed to make a face at the initials 'CB' on the wrapping paper.

"You didn't answer my question though," Marinette said, choosing to ignore Chat's strange reaction to the chocolate bar.

Chat placed a hand on his once injured side, almost self-consciously. "I'm an akuma, Marinette. I heal differently with magic attacks and all that." He pressed down softly on where the wound would've been and winced. "It still hurts, but there's no wound. Soon enough the pain will go away."

Marinette had no reason to not believe him, but she still found herself unsure. She didn't ask any more questions, though.

Somehow Chat ended up next to her among the pillows, his arm wrapped around her shoulders and pulling her close to his side. Nathaneal had snapped out of his art trance long enough to put a CD into an old beat up CD player, and soft electronic music with no real lyrics or choruses started to play.

"You need to rest," Chat murmured into her hair, and at the sound of his words, Marinette realized just how much her eyelids were drooping.

"I don't want to dream," she whispered, her voice slurring just the slightest. Her eyes drifted to where the portrait of Tikki was. And where the portrait of the man and the woman was.

Chat rubbed her shoulder soothingly, the evenness of his breath lulling her closer to sleep. "I'll be here when you wake up."

The statement almost seemed like a jab at her for leaving him alone while he had been sleeping. But the tone of his voice didn't suggest any hard feelings, and she fell asleep to the steady rhythm of his breathing and the music drifting from Nathaneal's CD player.


	29. Chapter 28

Marinette was sitting on a lawn chair on the top of a roof she knew all to well. Plants and flowers filled the thick night air with their syrupy scent, and she stared up at the cloudless night sky, taking deep breaths of the jasmine vines and the African violets. Her eyes took in the stars above her, seemingly infinite in their number, and she wondered if she could stay on the roof forever.

"This is quite beautiful," came a familiar voice from beside her, and she tore her gaze away from the sky, staring at the face of a woman she somehow recognized, though she was sure she had never seen her face clearly before, if only once.

"You aren't blurry anymore," she said, taking in the stunning appearance of the woman who had invaded her mind since the very beginning of her journey.

The woman was beautiful, of course. With perfectly curled hair swept to one side and enchanting forest green eyes, she fit right into the soft landscape of the rooftop. That is, save for the bright red body suit and domino mask she wore, both spotted with black polka-dots, like the pattern a ladybug.

"I think it's because I've finally realized why I am here with you," the woman said, turning away from Marinette to gaze fondly at the flowers. "Before I only had a vague understanding that I should help you. Guide you."

Marinette turned her gaze back to the sky, trying to pick out constellations that she hadn't seen in what felt like a lifetime. The sky rippled, and the positions of the stars changed, creating moving pictures that danced along the sky slowly, as if enjoying a waltz.

"What you said the last time I saw you," the woman continued, drifting around the rooftop to get a closer look at each pot of flowers, "when you asked what I was in terms of life and death – I started to think about it. About my connection to you and how I ended up to be so closely integrated into your being."

With some effort, Marinette looked away from the waltzing stars, turning to face the woman, whose eyes were not on her. "And what conclusion did you come to?" she asked, her curiosity spilling into the air from her lips and mingling with the intoxicating scent of the flowers.

"My consciousness has been fused with yours. When I died, I somehow ended up near you. And our minds must've been similar enough to connect." She said this in a matter of fact sort of way, as if Marinette was easily supposed to grasp the concept of two very different people, one alive and one dead, fusing spiritually. "My body has since died and no doubt decomposed, but my consciousness lives on within you."

"So the reason you felt so compelled to help me was because you wanted yourself to live on." She paused, watching the woman's shoulders draw up, finally turning to face her. "Which is why you were always so angry when I died."

The woman bit her lip, her hands coming to together and fiddling with each other as she tried to maintain Marinette's gaze. "That… may be true. But there are other reasons why I found myself needing to guide you. I can't quite put a name to anything yet, but I get the sense that there's something I didn't finish when I was alive. Something important."

Marinette sat up in the lawn chair, pushing her bangs away from her face and blowing out a low breath. "Please don't push your unfinished ghostly business on me."

"I just said it was something important," the woman said, something between annoyance and amusement tugging at her voice. "It applies to you now as well, but since I don't know what it is, I can't say how. I just know it does. Perhaps because now we can be considered one being."

Jasmine vines curled around Marinette's feet as she stood, turning away from the woman and looking up at the stars, now stagnant in the slowly rippling sky. "You're saying all these things, and yet I don't even know who you are. You know everything about me, but I don't even know your name."

"It's because I don't know it myself, Marinette," the woman said softly, reaching out and gently touching her shoulder. "I know everything about you because of the way our minds have been connected, but since I can't remember anything about my life, there is nothing for you to take from me." There was a pause as Marinette digested the words, and the woman chewed on her next ones. "I would tell you if I had the ability, but I have the nagging feeling that neither of us will be able to know anything about me until you find it out."

"That's kind of shitty."

"It is."

Marinette brushed her fingers to the petals of a violet, thinking over what information she had just been given. "This important thing," she finally started, looking at the woman, "do you know how at all I'm supposed to accomplish it?"

The woman furrowed her eyebrows, the domino mask matching the movement of her skin like magic. Which it probably was. "I… I think you're on the right track where you are now. You just have to keep moving forward and wanting what's best for the akumas, yourself, and the friends that you make."

"That sounds corny."

"But I'm sure that'll help both of our problems, seeing as how they're now indistinguishable from each other."

The rooftop and the sky and the flowers started to fade, the sweet scent hanging in the air also dulling, but the woman in front of Marinette remained strikingly clear. Marinette realized when she was about to wake from a dream, and she gave the woman a last once-over, taking in the polka-dotted suit and mask.

And then a thought occurred to her.

"We match," she said, gesturing to her similarly patterned sweater and only just catching the glimpse of a smile grace the woman's face before she woke up.

Marinette opened her eyes slowly, taking in the feeling of her cheek smushed up against something leathery that moved up and down languidly. Soft music, almost like a lullaby, filled her ears, and she let herself soak in the warmth of the atmosphere and the arms around her for a moment.

After a couple of minutes, she peeled her cheek off of Chat's chest, balancing her weight on her forearms beside either sides of Chat's body as she took in the sight that was Chat sleeping.

He looked younger, somehow, and she noticed the stark contrast of his golden eyelashes against the black of his domino mask. His head was hanging off the edge of the beanbag, which meant that Marinette got a very nice view of the inside of his nose, as well as the barest hints of his teeth and the roof of his mouth, his jaw slack and relaxed.

She leaned to one side, taking all of her weight on one arm, and brushed his hair back from his face, running her fingers through the fringe and letting her thumb graze across his forehead. The action held a certain weight to it that Marinette quite liked, so she continued. His nose twitched.

"He fell asleep not long after you did."

Marinette nearly screamed before she realized it was only Nathaneal, whispering softly from the other side of the room, where he was still perched carefully on his chair. Despite managing to reign in her voice, Marinette still tugged rather hard on Chat's hair, eliciting a flicker of pain across his face before he settled back into sleep.

"You scared me," Marinette whispered, not at all changing her position.

"I'm sorry," Nathaneal answered, though he didn't seem to be as sincere as the other times he apologized. His focus was elsewhere. He held a thick sketchbook and was making careful strokes, his gaze flicking between Chat and Marinette and the pad of paper every couple of seconds.

"Are you… Drawing us?" Marinette asked, suddenly feeling very self-conscious. She started to move from her position.

"Will you stay still if I say no?" he asked, looking up from his sketchbook to meet her gaze. The light movements he'd been making with his pencil stopped as he focused all his attention on her.

"I'll stay still," Marinette promised, settling back into her position, her cheeks heating up. "Just tell me the truth."

Nathaneal looked at her for a moment longer, the barest hints of a smile flicking at his lips. He looked away from her and continued drawing. "Yes. I'm drawing you and Chat."

Marinette leaned on her elbow, her free hand tracing Chat's nose lightly. "Can I ask why?"

He shrugged. "I finished your portrait a couple of hours ago," he said, gesturing vaguely to his desk. "I worked on some other projects for a little bit, and then I saw that both of you had kind of ended up sleeping on each other. I liked the positioning of it." He put down the sketching pencil and grabbed a couple colored pencils. "I think you might already know, but I don't just like drawing people. I like drawing them so that you can see their personality, or feelings, or thoughts."

Marinette remained silent, something in the pit of her stomach fluttering. She looked down at Chat's sleeping face, lifting her finger from his nose to trace her knuckles over his cheekbone. "And you saw something worth drawing?"

"How could I not?" Marinette whipped her head towards Nathaneal, her face burning. "Don't give me that look," he said, though he wasn't looking at her, his eyes trained onto the sketchbook. "Even a blind person could see how you two feel about each other. There's something extremely intimate about gravitating towards each other even while you're sleeping. Not to mention you woke up and the first thing you did was look at him with this expression full of" – his gaze broke away from the drawing as he searched for the word, his hand making motions as if he could grab it from the air around him – "adoration? Like he was the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. He looked at you like that when you were asleep, too."

Her heart was beating so fast at this point that she had to take a moment to calm it, burying her face in Chat's chest. Only then did she realize that may be worse. She turned her face away, a wobbly smile pulling at her lips as she tried not to let her hopes get too high or combust from the fluttering feeling pumping through her veins.

"You act like you've never heard this before."

"I haven't." Marinette looked back at Nathaneal, finally able to control her expression. "You act very different when you're drawing."

Nathaneal's cheeks grew very opaque, and the colored pencil fell through his fingers, as if he forgot to keep his fingers solid. This seemed to make him even more flustered. "I-I get that a lot."

He picked up the pencil, seeming to make a conscious effort to keep it in his hands. "It's just that I'm confident in my skills as an artist, you know? It's one of the only things I'm good at. I guess my confidence just kind of seeps through to everything else when I'm drawing. Sorry if you don't like it."

"That's not what I meant," Marinette consoled, her voice quick like she was trying to soothe a panicky bird. "It's not bad. In fact, I like it a lot."

His lips pursed, as if holding back a smile. He looked down at the sketch, now colored. "It's done."

"Can I see?" Nathaneal started to turn his sketchbook around to show her.

Chat stirred underneath her, and she frantically tried to motion to Nathaneal that _never mind_ she did _not_ want to see if Chat could also see her being so _obnoxiously_ in love with him. Nathaneal seemed to get the memo, but he rolled his eyes, flipping his sketchbook closed.

"Morning, bug," Chat greeted, his eyes creaking open and focusing on Marinette. His lips cracked into a radiant and almost blinding smile. "Why're you on top of me? Trying to use some catnip on me while I was cat-napping?"

Nathaneal snorted. Marinette groaned.

She rolled off of him, jabbing her elbow into his stomach quite purposefully as she did so. "No need for the violence, sweetheart," Chat crooned, sitting up and flashing her a grin. "Though I must say that catnip is also very unnecessary. You don't need drugs like that to have this cat all to yourself."

"Stop talking," Marinette said, and Chat bumped her shoulder softly, that shit-eating grin still pulling at his annoyingly attractive face.

"Now that both of you are awake," Nathaneal said, effectively saving Marinette from the terror that was Chat, "how are you two feeling?"

"Fantastic," Chat replied immediately, and Marinette raised her eyebrows at him. "What? I told you I'd be fine after one really good cat nap. It just happened earlier than I expected."

"And you're sure."

"Absolutely," he said, poking a finger into his side where his wound had been without so much as a wince. "Doesn't hurt at all." He looked down at her thigh, where her wound still throbbed angrily, the scab looking large and scary as ever. "What about you?" he asked, his tone shifting to something soft and caring.

"It still hurts," Marinette admitted. "But I think if I eat something else, it'll heal up completely."

"There's that chocolate," Nathaneal offered, pointing to the abandoned glittery pink chocolate bar resting rather sadly on the floor. Seeing the expressions on both Chat and Marinette's faces, Nathaneal gave a little shrug. "It's not as bad as it looks."

"You can eat it?" Marinette asked, a little bit surprised.

"Well, yeah," Nathaneal replied, turning back to the desk and tapping what looked like a finished portrait lightly. "If I try hard enough."

"But… How does it go through?"

Nathaneal gave Marinette a look, not even turning his head to look at her. "You don't ask everyone about how their digestive systems work, do you?"

"Fair point."

"Anyway, it looks like your portrait is dry." He picked up the canvas, and Chat eagerly rubbed his hands together.

"Show us the magic you've worked this time, Nate," he said, and Nathaneal cheeks turned a bright white, hiding his face behind the canvas of the portrait as he turned it around to show it to them.

The Marinette in the portrait was someone Marinette could recognize as herself, unlike the other one. Her hair was a mess, though still in two definitive pig tails, and the sleeves of her sweater were pushed up haphazardly. She was walking to somewhere not shown in the portrait, her eyes set in the direction she was going with a determined sort of gaze. Her scarred hands were clenched into fists as she marched along, almost as if she was going off to give someone a firm talking to.

Chat let out a light laugh. "You've done it again, Nate-y boy," he said, and Marinette didn't miss the touch of affection and pride in his voice. "That is most definitely my girl."

"I can't deny that," Marinette admitted, cocking her head at the portrait. "Where did you think I was headed when you painted this?"

Nathaneal peeked around the canvas to look at the portrait. "Well, I said before that now you look more like you know where you're going, so I wanted to show that." He paused, seeming to think a little. "But judging from the fact that you're passing through Waterfall and are no doubt headed for Hotland and the capitol, I'd say you're heading to the castle."

Marinette nodded slowly. "The barrier, to be specific."

Chat took Marinette's hand, squeezing softly, but he kept his eyes on Nathaneal. "You understand that you can't tell Alya that you've seen her, right?"

He tapped his ghostly fingers on the portrait, biting his lip before setting it down. "I know that. It's dangerous for you here, but lying to Alya is always difficult." He looked at Marinette. "And I wish you could stay here. In the Underground."

"I wish that, too," Marinette said before she could think, but the moment the words left her lips, she realized it was true. She had found friends here, and the longer she stayed, the more she felt like she had found a home in the people she met.

Chat turned to her, his eyes widening in surprise. Marinette felt a lump form in her throat.

"But I can't stay. I would constantly be in danger, and I would put the people that I care about in danger, too." She was looking straight at Nathaneal, and she gave Chat's hand a small squeeze, silently telling them that they were included in that group of people. "I… I can't let that happen."

Nathaneal looked away, small tear droplets forming in his eyes and floating around in the air around him. "Sorry," he said, though Marinette wasn't sure what he was sorry for.

But seeing him cry made the first tear fall from Marinette's eyes.

Chat didn't say anything as he gently wiped away her tears – because now that she had started, she couldn't seem to stop – and pulled her into a warm hug. She felt a small pressure on her head, which only made her cry harder.

"I won't say I saw you," Nathaneal said, his voice trembling and weak. "I'll lie, and you'll be safe, and you'll leave, and I'll never see you again." He got up from his chair and hung her portrait on the wall next to Chat and Nino's. He sniffed, wiping away his tears. "At least, not in person."

Marinette pulled herself away from Chat, wiping the snot from her nose on her sweater and rubbing at her eyes. "We'll see each other again. I'll find a way." She looked at Chat as she said this, cementing it into his brain that she wouldn't give up on her crazy idea to save the Underground.

This time, he didn't look so against it.

When the tears had stopped and Nathaneal finally convinced her to eat the rest of the half-eaten glittery chocolate bar and the rest of the scab had healed into a red scar, Marinette and Chat stood outside of Nathaneal's house. Chat was sure they had to keep moving, and Marinette couldn't help but agree.

There was no telling how close Alya was to them, and there was no need to test their luck.

"Can I have your phone number?" Marinette asked Nathaneal, already starting to pull out her Miraculous.

"Oh," Nathaneal started, his voice soft and embarrassed. "I don't have a phone."

"Let Chat or Nino know when you do get one so that they can pass your number on to me, okay?" Marinette asked, and Nathaneal nodded enthusiastically.

"I'll come by later," Chat promised, and Nathaneal nodded.

"Well," Marinette said, taking a deep breath, "I guess it's about time for us to head out." She gave Nathaneal a wave that he returned a little sadly, and both she and Chat turned away from him, starting to walk away.

"Oh!" came an exclamation from Nathaneal, and Marinette turned back, raising her eyebrow at him. He gestured for her and only her to come back to him. She looked at Chat.

"It's cool," he said with a little shrug, "I'll wait here."

Marinette jogged back to Nathaneal. "What's wrong.?"

Nathaneal pulled out a completely solid and folded up piece of paper out of his ghostly pocket. Marinette wondered briefly how that was supposed to work. Magic, probably.

"I wanted to give you this," he said, carefully unfolding the paper to reveal a clean and colored sketch.

It was the one of Marinette laying on top of a sleeping Chat, looking at him adoringly as she ran her hands through his hair. Even just looking at it made her cheeks burn, and she folded quickly, casting a glance back at Chat who was digging his toe into the ground in an attempt to pick out one of the gemstones and whistling softly to himself.

"For when you leave," Nathaneal said, a twinge of sadness pulling at his voice. "So you have something of him. And so you can remember me."

Marinette's heart felt ready to burst with the surge of affection and grief she felt all at once. She pulled out her Miraculous and placed the paper carefully inside. The moment she had the chance, she knew she would put it in a frame.

"Thank you so much, Nathaneal. I'll treasure it."

His entire body grew opaque, and, for a moment, Marinette thought he was blushing all over, but he surprised her with a very enthusiastic hug that felt like a warm summer breeze turned solid. The hug lasted for a while, and Marinette found herself on the verge of tears again as she held him tight to her.

The effort of keeping his whole body solid for that long seemed to take its toll on him, and he slowly seemed to turn to smoke in Marinette's arms. She let him go.

Nathaneal let out a breath, letting himself relax. "I wish I could've gotten to know you better. I wish you could stay longer."

"I wish that too," she said, watching white tears gather in Nathaneal's eyes and fighting back tears in her own. "But we'll see each other again. I promise."

He nodded, as if he couldn't put what he needed to say into words, and he gave her a little wave as she turned back to Chat. He was smiling. Marinette was, too.

As Marinette and Chat started to walk away, Chat looked down at the ground, and then at her. "You meant what you said. About seeing him again." It wasn't a question.

"I did." Marinette looked forward, thinking of the trials that still lay ahead of her that she'd have to complete in order for her to be able to keep her promise. "I'm going to, Chat," she said, looking over to him and catching his gaze. "Do you understand?"

He took her hand, and she saw the way he set his jaw in determination. "I do."


	30. Chapter 29

Chat was silent for a while after they left Nathaneal's, not even commenting when Marinette broke away from his side to touch a save point, though he did seem to stiffen a little. Marinette wasn't uncomfortable with the silence. It wasn't something heavy, and when she looked over at him, the little crease between his eyebrows told her he was only thinking hard about something.

Just as they were nearing a shop, Chat stopped them, his hand tightening his hand on hers. "I know that you intend to stick to your crazy plans of saving the Underground," he started, looking her in the eyes. The tone and sound of his voice was careful, as if he had carefully chosen each word before speaking them. "Before I say anything else, I want you to tell me how you plan to do that."

Marinette thought for a second, biting her lip. In her dream, the woman had said to just continue her path of forward, and considering she had said that their goals were now the same, she might as well mean that Marinette's supposed to be doing that to save the Underground. Which is sort of what she wanted to do anyway. Go forward, find a way for everyone to be satisfied. She didn't think Chat would accept such a vague answer, though, so she decided to call upon the advice Tikki had given her what seemed like so long ago.

"A friend I once knew told me the best way to solve conflicts was to talk it out."

A smile twitched on Chat's face before disappearing completely, and Marinette wondered if she had imagined it. "So you plan to walk into the palace, go straight to King Plagg, and give him a stern talking to?"

"I imagine it'll be more of a two-way conversation than a talking to, but sure. That's the plan."

He let out a sigh that almost sounded like a laugh. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Bringing her scarred hand up to his lips, he gave her knuckles a light kiss before looking back up at her. "I'll help you, Marinette, and I'll protect you so that you can talk your way out of everything."

"But you still think it's crazy."

"Oh, I _know_ it's crazy."

She pushed his face away from her hand, giving his hair a light ruffle. "Thanks, Chat."

His throat made a small noise that sounded like purring as her fingers ran through his hair, and Marinette pulled her hand away, giving Chat a surprised look. Chat's eyes widened, and he cleared his throat, looking away from her.

"Anyway," he said, his voice cracking a little. "This shop is run by an old friend. We should go in to pay him a little visit so I can introduce you, and also stock you up on some food."

When they walked into the shop, Marinette was so surprised by the most human-looking akuma she had ever seen, that she stopped walking.

Behind the front counter stood an old man, totally normal in appearance except for a bright red and very tacky Hawaiian style tourist shirt and a large turtle shell on his back. As for the aura he gave off…

Marinette had never really felt an aura around akumas, and she had no idea if what she was feeling truly was an aura, but it felt so unbelievably powerful that it took her breath away. The power seemed to roll off the serenely smiling old man, and the combination of unfamiliar sights and feelings made her stop by the door, completely motionless.

"Hey, Fu," Chat said, immediately walking up to the counter to lean on it. "How's it going? This is my friend – what's wrong?" he asked, finally noticing Marinette's frozen figure still by the door.

Finally, she shook off her alarm enough to walk closer. Though she was still wary of the man that Chat had called 'Fu.' "Nothing," she said, eyeing Fu to try and figure out why he felt so different from other akumas. There was of course the flow of energy practically suffocating Marinette, but she found that if she tried to not to think about it, it wouldn't be so bad. But his appearance also seemed off. Normally, akumas resembled humans to an extent, but there was always something big that differentiated the two.

The only thing about Fu was his turtle shell.

Fu seemed to notice Marinette's careful scrutiny, though he didn't seem bothered by it. "Hello. You're a new face, aren't you?"

"I'm new here," Marinette said, feeling the magical power of Fu roll off him in waves as she stepped closer to him.

"Well, I'm sure that by now you've already seen a lot of the Underground, but welcome to the Underground," he said, smiling at her. "I trust Chat has not been too much of a nuisance?"

Chat scowled at him. "Why are you always like this with my friends?"

"No, he's been a nuisance," Marinette said, and Fu laughed. Chat looked at her in betrayal.

"I'm not sure I expected anything else, to be quite honest." He paused, looking over Marinette with a gleam in his eye that she wasn't sure if she was comfortable with. "But I definitely didn't expect to see a human so far deep in the Underground in this sort of age. You deserve a hearty congratulations."

Marinette blinked. So far, the other akumas she'd actually had a conversation with hadn't seemed to notice that she was human. Fu knew right off the bat.

"Who are you?" she asked, unable to stop herself from taking a step back.

"A friend," Fu promised. "I didn't mean to alarm you."

"Well, you did, and I'm very alarmed."

Chat stepped in between her and Fu, his hands held out to her like he was trying to calm a panicked animal. Marinette glared at him. "Bug, there's nothing to be suspicious about. Fu's one of my closest friends" – he casted a pointed look back at Fu – "though sometimes he's too upfront with what he knows or figures out."

"Excuse me for being suspicious," Marinette said, still not convinced enough to stop being angry and sounding more than a little sarcastic and rude, "but most of the time when people know I'm human, they try to kill me."

"Fu's not like that," Chat soothed. "He's too old to fight anything." Marinette heard Fu laugh a little. She still wasn't convinced.

"If it makes you feel a little better," Fu interjected, peeking out from behind Chat, "I've been here for a very long time. Before the king decided to implement the 'hating humans' plans, an idea I was and still am much opposed to."

Marinette stepped out to see Fu better, still giving him a wary glare. "How'd you know I was human?"

"I'm a smart man," Fu said with a shrug. "And I've heard some news that the palace has found and is trying to locate a human wearing spots." He tapped an ear as he said this, and Marinette wondered if he was referring more to her earrings than her sweater. "It also makes sense that Chat would bring you here, since he always introduces new friends to me."

"How'd you know I'd be his friend?"

"Chat likes to get into trouble, and making friends with a human is a great way to get in trouble."

"You make me sound so bad," Chat interrupted. Marinette noticed that he didn't deny it.

"Okay," Marinette said, finally relaxing, if only a small amount. "Sure. I trust you. A little."

Fu observed her still tightly wrung posture, the way her fists clenched and unclenched, the way her feet shifted back and forth, as if ready at that very second to run. "Perhaps," he said, watching as her eyes bored into him, "it would help to converse over a cup of tea."

"It's really great tea," Chat offered, his eyes pleading with Marinette to _relax, for goodness' sake._ "Calms you down."

Marinette didn't take long to decide what she wanted to do, but that didn't mean that she liked it all that much. Fu lead the two of them to a back door of his small shop which opened up to a small cave-like dwelling that was neat and orderly, if somewhat cramped.

It seemed like the entire home was all in one room, and everything looked to be sort of squished together, but it seemed very lived in. Despite the fact that Marinette was still on edge from the power emanating from Fu, she still found somewhere inside her to observe the surroundings with a fond feeling nudging at her gut.

There was a small wooden dining table pushed right up to the edge of the kitchen counter tops, and Marinette heard the scream of an overheating tea kettle. The scent of the house was something warm and herb-like. There were gemstones embedded into the uneven walls.

Fu rushed to the tea kettle, maneuvering easily around the furniture, and gestured for Chat and Marinette to sit. Chat sat down first, looking a lot more at ease than Marinette, who remained standing and watched as Fu gathered three mismatched cups and began pouring the hot water into them.

"Can I ask why you're upset, Marinette?" Chat asked, his voice low and sincere as he tugged on Marinette's hand to try and get her to sit. She conceded after a moment, still keeping her hand on Chat's.

"I'm not upset," Marinette said, her voice slow as she tried to place what exactly it was she was feeling. "I just feel very overwhelmed? On edge? There's something about your friend that makes little alarms go off in my head," she said, tearing her eyes away from Fu as he took out a box full of tea bags and carefully chose three different ones to put in the cups.

Chat thought for a moment. "I've been around Fu for as long as I remember, so I can't exactly understand what you're feeling." His teeth worried at his bottom lip as he thought for a moment. "But I do know that Fu isn't the average… akuma."

Marinette didn't fail to notice the pause before Chat called Fu an akuma. She didn't comment on it.

"He's very old, and he's very powerful," he continued. "I don't think akumas tend to mind so much since they can feel magic all the time, but for a human inexperienced with such potent sort of power, I suppose it could be overwhelming. But he's not going to hurt you. That much is a promise."

Fu carefully held all three cups in arms, performing an almost impressive balancing act as he carried them to the table. He distributed the cups to Marinette and Chat, handing Chat a plain black mug with what looked like cat whiskers on it and Marinette a delicate looking tea cup with a pink cherry blossom design reminiscent of Chinese-style artistry.

"As always," Fu said, regarding Chat with a crooked smile as he took a sip from his own mottled green cup, "you're not as good at whispering as you think you are." Marinette stiffened. "Take a page from Marinette's book," he said, giving her a wink.

"Leave me alone, old man. It's just because you can recognize my voice."

"It's also because your voice still cracks like you're a pubescent teenager."

"Does not!" Chat exclaimed, his voice cracking as he said those words.

Marinette found herself snorting a little as she toyed with the handle of the tea cup, her eyes flicking over to Chat's horrified and offended expression. "Apparently it does."

"You're supposed to be on my side," Chat pouted.

"I'll be on whatever side I please."

Fu's eyes twinkled as he regarded Marinette once more, but there seemed to be an edge there as well. Marinette wondered what she had done to put it there. "As for what you two were so conspicuously whispering about, I must say that Chat is right on all accounts."

"A rarity," Marinette commented. Chat gaped at her.

"Indeed." Chat sunk low in his seat, giving both Fu and Marinette looks. Neither of them paid attention to him. Fu continued without a hitch. "I am old. I am powerful, if I do say so myself. To people who have been around me for a long period of time or akumas with magic as an everyday experience, the extra magic energy inside me doesn't bother anyone."

"I fall under both of those categories," Chat interjected. "You fall under neither."

"But I've been around magic for a long period of time," she said, taking a sip of the tea and finding it to taste almost like chamomile, but with a hint of something sweeter. It seemed to calm her down a bit. "Granted, not as long as everyone else here, but still enough to be experienced with it, right?"

Chat brought his mug up to his mouth, taking a sip and making a face. He shot a glare at Fu before turning to Marinette. "Honestly, it isn't so much about how long you've been around it. Humans who've been able to take on Fu's stupid amount of power really have just been in the presence of magic for some of it to seep inside them. The magic's a part of them, even if they don't realize it."

"But I have-" She stopped herself, tightening her grip on the tea cup in her hands and looking at Chat helplessly.

"I'm very much aware that you have SOUL inside you," Fu said gently, reaching over the table to lay a light hand over hers. He and Chat shared a look that seemed to be filled with unspoken confirmations, and she glanced between them confusedly. "I was able to sense it the moment you walked in."

Marinette looked down at Fu's hand over hers, and she lowered the tea cup, not making moving her hand away from Fu's grasp. "If you understand that much, then surely you must be as confused as me? I have a SOUL inside me, and that's pure magic, right? It's a part of me."

Fu leaned back, taking his hand away from Marinette's and stroking his beard thoughtfully. "To me, it's seems as though it's untapped power in you." He paused, seeming to examine her a little more. "When Chat and I described the humans with magic in them, we were referring to magic that they use, no matter how small. Little magical actions caused from exposure to magic often don't get noticed enough."

"Magic is an emotional force," Chat said, swirling the tea in his mug absently. "Humans who've had magic come into them without their knowledge can sometimes have their emotions lead their lives a little more than how they were previously. Sometimes they'll perform little magics without realizing it. They're not akumas, but one breakdown, and they will be."

"And you're saying… I'm not like that?"

Chat looked at her, the weight of his gaze taking her breath away for a split second. "Definitely not."

"You're aware of the fact that there's magic inside you and how deeply connected to it you are," Fu said, taking a sip from his own mug. "But it seems like you've never used this power in any way." He paused, and Marinette got the feeling he knew more than he was saying. "You have it inside you, and that's it."

"Which is a good thing," Chat muttered.

"So you're saying that if I had used more magic, I wouldn't be so affected by you?" she asked, and both Chat and Fu nodded. "I'm not sure if that's good or bad," she admitted after a moment. "I don't even know how to use magic."

"Good," Chat said with a very sure nod of his head. "If you don't know how to use it, that means that you've never let it get to you. It takes years to learn how to properly wield it without getting too emotional or having it affect you in a negative way. Even then, it's still extremely difficult to put a wall between your own emotions and the force that manifests your emotions into power."

"You seem as though you're speaking from experience," Marinette said, eyeing Chat for his reaction.

He only shrugged. "Fu's old enough to share a millennium's worth of stories, and every akuma has to go through therapy, remember? It's to teach them how to use magic in a way that doesn't get to them."

Fu looked between Chat and Marinette before setting a moment's worth of a disappointed gaze at Chat. He turned back to Marinette, and she wondered if she had just imagined it. "I'm sure you came into my shop looking for something in particular, and now that the serious conversation is out of the way, I'd be more than happy to help."

"I wasn't looking for anything in particular," Marinette said with a shrug. "Just maybe some food? I'm running a bit low."

"Hm," Fu hummed, tapping a finger to his chin. "I normally sell old junk, so I'm not sure how much I can help you with that sort of thing."

"You could make something," Chat suggested. "I would recommend your crab apple." He turned to Marinette. "It looks like a crab."

"That's a wonderful idea!" Fu exclaimed, and he got up from the table to buzz excitedly around the kitchen, collecting ingredients Marinette would never have expected for just an apple.

Marinette turned to Chat. "Where do we go after this?" she asked, watching as Chat took a sip of his tea and once again made a face at it. "And what's in that tea that's making your face like that?"

Chat set down his mug, pushing it away from him. "Fu likes jokes. I made fun of his tea once and he never gave me actual tea ever again." He glanced into the mug warily. "I think this is a blend of cat nip, dirt, and sprinkles." He stuck out his tongue, rubbing it fiercely on his glove. "Maybe a bit of dog residue."

She gave him a look. "There's no way that's true."

"Do you want to taste it?" he asked, offering the mug to her. She caught a glimpse of small particles of something she couldn't identify floating around in it.

Just as she was about to take the mug from Chat to prove a point, Fu spoke up from the kitchen. "Ah, Marinette, I think it would be best to drink only from your own mug. You wouldn't want cat germs, now would you?"

Chat scowled in the general direction of Fu, still offering the mug to Marinette.

"Fu's right," Marinette said, grinning cheekily at him. "I think I'd rather not have cat germs."

He once again set the mug down and pushed it away from him. "I'm always the butt of the joke here."

"I just think you're a butt in general." Marinette heard Fu cackle, and she snorted a little at her own joke.

"What are you, a second grader?" Chat demanded, pouting more than a little.

"Maybe," she said, sticking her tongue out at him.

" _Anyway,"_ Chat said pointedly, trying to steer the conversation away from him. "After we leave here, I think the lantern area is next." He thought for a moment. "There's the ferry stop, but that guy is always way up in Hotland until someone hitches a ride back. Really there's nothing interesting until we get through a couple more areas."

"You're supposed to be the overenthusiastic tour guide. Make it interesting."

"Sweetheart, you expect too much from me."

Fu walked back over to the dining table, holding a crab-shaped apple on a stick. The apple itself seemed to be covered in a lot of substances Marinette couldn't recognize. "Oh," Fu said, wrapping the apple in a sheet of plastic. "I didn't know you two were involved that way," he said, shooting a wink at an instantly red Marinette.

"Not yet, my friend," Chat said, seemingly unaffected by the joke, rather relishing in it. "But in time."

Marinette slapped his shoulder, fuming in her thoughts that maybe he was right and hating herself for it. "Not even in the next decade."

"Then the one after that," he said with a shrug, giving her an absurdly hot smile. "I'll be counting down the minutes until then, bugaboo."

"I hate you."

"Young love sure is nice," Fu said with a smile.

They chatted a bit longer before Fu finally led them to the front to where the shop was. Looking around, Marinette realized he had been telling the truth with what he had said earlier. There really was just a bunch of junk for sale on the shelves and counters.

She slipped her yo-yo back in her pocket from putting Fu's crab apple inside, turning back to Fu. "I'm sorry with the way I acted earlier," she apologized.

"No need for that," Fu replied easily, waving away her apology. "I understand I can be a bit overwhelming to new people."

Chat smiled before turned to Fu, his expression serious. "Has anyone come by to ask questions?" he asked, and Fu nodded grimly.

"Alya stopped by just before you two came along." Marinette stiffened. "You must understand, though," he said, turning to Marinette and giving her a pleading look, "Alya isn't as bad as she seems."

Marinette sighed. "So I've heard."

"Why, I remember when she first arrived here, all filled with this childish wonder," Fu continued, a fond look passing over his features. "Alya loves the Underground and the people in it. She'd do anything to protect it." He paused, giving Marinette an apologetic glance. "I know that if the both of you were to talk, she'd come to care for you just as she does with everyone else here."

"If only she'd take the time to talk."

"I never said it would be easy. Alya's extremely hot headed. It'll take her a bit to cool down to finally realize how good of a person you truly are."

"She's got to cool down to warm up to you," Chat said, almost to himself, and Marinette glanced over at him as he snorted a little at his own 'joke.' "But Fu's right," he said, clearing his throat. "I know Alya, and she's really a nice person at heart."

"I trust you both," she said after a moment. "This isn't something I've never heard before."

"In the meantime, though," Fu said, putting a hand on Marinette's shoulder, "I would want to steer clear of her." Marinette nodded. "Stay safe, Marinette. I know you'll be able to accomplish what you want to."

Surprisingly, Fu hugged her, and Marinette found herself hugging him back. "Keep your heart in the right place," he whispered into her ear, and Marinette pulled away somewhat confused.

"I will," she replied, although she wasn't sure what he meant by it.

Fu turned to Chat, and they murmured a few things that Marinette couldn't quite catch to each other before coming together in a tight and meaningful hug. Fu seemed to whisper something in Chat's ear, and whatever it was seemed to mean a lot more than what he said to Marinette because Chat squeezed his eyes shut and buried his face in Fu's shoulder.

The moment was something that Marinette felt like she was intruding on, and she turned away, somewhat uncomfortable.

After a moment, Fu and Chat pulled away from each other, and Chat came to stand by Marinette's side. "See you soon, Fu," Chat said, and Marinette saw there were tears glistening in his bright eyes.

"Be safe, you two," Fu said, waving as they exited the shop.

Outside, Chat sniffed, pressing the heels of his hands into his eyes. Marinette stopped walking and made Chat stop, too, using one hand to push his hands away from his face and the other to cradle his cheek. "What's wrong?" she asked, watching as Chat blinked fast and hard.

He took a deep breath and seemed to gather himself. He didn't push Marinette away though, instead leaning into her hand. "Fu is… someone very precious to me. I always introduce him to people as my friend, but he really is more like a father to me." He paused, and a said smile pulled at his lips. "He was there for me when I was going through a rough time, and he's always known the right thing to say."

Marinette traced her thumb over his cheekbone, smiling at him softly. "I'm glad I was able to meet someone who means so much to you."

"Yeah," Chat replied, his voice thick with emotion and meaning. He leaned down to bump his forehead with hers. "I'm glad, too."

They stayed that way for a moment, and Marinette closed her eyes, taking in the feeling of Chat's forehead against hers and her hand pressed against his cheek. She blinked her eyes open, and she saw that Chat had his eyes closed. He was almost unbearably close.

She pulled away. "We should keep moving," she said, and Chat opened his eyes, regarding her with a look that made her breath catch in her throat.

"Right," he said, his voice soft.

The next area was passed in a comfortable silence as Chat rubbed circles onto her hand with every step they took. The area was a beautiful one, shrouded mostly in darkness save for the soft glow of blue mushrooms and tall tree-looking structures that emitted the same glow that the mushrooms did.

The area itself seemed to be a maze, but Chat led her through it easily as if he had traversed it hundreds of times. Which, she thought, was an entirely real possibility.

As they reached the end of the area, they reached a sign saying something about Home and crystals. Marinette ignored it.

"Wait," Chat said, pulling her to a stop. She looked back at him, and as she stared at his face, the light around her from the mushrooms and the jewels on the path started to fade. Chat looked around, seeming to wait for something, and the entire area fell into a darkness so deep, Marinette couldn't even see her feet.

Her breath came quicker almost instantly, and she reached blindly for Chat, the hand still in his squeezing painfully. "Chat," she whispered, her voice breaking, "Chat."

"Marinette," he whispered back, and something inside her calmed at the fact that he was still right beside her. "Breathe."

She took in a shaking breath, still trying to find him with her other hand. He stepped closer to her, and she felt her free hand hit his arm. She gripped onto him like he was a lifeline, trying to look up and see his face, but finding she couldn't. The gnawing fear inside her increased.

"It's so dark," she heaved, her grip on him tightening until it created an aching feeling in her knuckles. "So dark. Can't see."

A brilliant light blinded her for a moment, and she blinked fast, trying to regain her vision. She looked up at where the light was coming from, and her eyes met with Chat's glowing green eyes.

The area around them was still shrouded in a darkness so thick it seemed as though it could be cut with a knife, but she could see Chat's face, and she could see her own feet.

"I'm here, Marinette," Chat whispered. "I'm here."


	31. Chapter 30

"I'm here, Marinette," Chat kept repeating, over and over again. "I'm here, I'm here, I'm here."

It was an effort for Marinette to finally get her breathing under control, and when she had, she still felt a little breathless, as if her lungs were too small for all the air she wanted to take in. Chat's voice helped some, but it wasn't even the words he was saying. They all blurred together until Marinette couldn't understand them at all. It was his presence – the feeling of his body heat radiating from within his suit, his hand gripping hers about as hard as she was gripping his, the comfort of his eyes focused solely on her.

"What do we do?" she asked, her voice small and weak. It echoed throughout the space, bouncing off far walls and coming back to her. _What do we do? What do we do? What do we do?_

"I've been through this area lots and lots of times," Chat assured her, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. "At this point I have it memorized. And there's a trick to getting more light. I'll get you through this."

She stared at the bright almost neon green of his eyes, and she nodded. "Okay." The word came out as a whisper. He let go of one of her hands to start walking forward, looking down at the ground.

The light off his eyes bounced off the gemstones cluttered together on the path, and Marinette counted her steps to distract herself from the suffocating darkness.

"This room is like the last. It's a maze, but the difficulty is upped a bit because the lighting fades after a moment when you first walk in." Marinette nodded, her lips moving silently as she continued to count. "It's a little frightening when you first go through, but" – Chat kicked at a small shape on the side of the thin path, and the entire room lit up – "there's lanterns everywhere."

Marinette stopped walking, staring at the small blue lantern and watching its light fade after only a moment.

"You have to be quick, though," Chat said, kicking the lantern and pulling Marinette back into a walk. "The light goes out pretty soon, so you have to go through and find the next lantern again." He gestured to a lantern a few feet ahead of them, and when they got to it, he let Marinette kick it to restore the light once more.

There was something oddly satisfying in that.

They walked through the rest of the maze with ease because Chat knew exactly how to leave. A couple of times an akuma or two approached them, but they went away with one look from Chat. Marinette didn't think she'd be able to defend herself from them, and she thought that perhaps Chat knew that.

When they finally reached the edge of the path, Marinette breathed out an audible sight of relief. She put a hand over her chest, feeling the rapid beating slow to a steady thump.

Chat squeezed her hand. He carefully stepped downward, off a ledge that Marinette had hardly noticed was there. The lower portion of his legs disappeared into water. He held out his hands to her, and he gingerly helped her down into the water next to him.

"Do you remember when we heard that conversation from the Echo flowers? We'll get to hear-" Chat stopped suddenly, his whole body stiffening as he glanced around.

"What's wrong?" Marinette asked, watching his eyes narrow. They seemed to glow more than they would in normal lighting, and the thought made Marinette's heartbeat speed up once more. "Why is it – why is it so dark?"

He shook his head, lifting his nose to sniff at the air. "It's not normally, there's something…" He trailed off, looking down at her with wide eyes, a million emotions crossing his features. "Alya."

There were many things that Marinette thought, but all of those thoughts rammed into the back of her skull and stuck there, unfinished and panicked. Only one thought formed coherently and made it to her mouth. "You need to go."

The words came out surer than she expected them to, and Chat stared at her, completely shocked. "What? No! I'm staying here with you so that we can avoid her."

"No," she said, pushing him away and shaking her head back and forth. "No. I don't think we can avoid her, and I don't want you there when she sees me."

"I could protect you," Chat said, resisting her feeble attempts to shove him off. "I could talk you out of it, get her to listen. I could-"

Marinette pushed him away more firmly, glaring at him with a look that made him stop talking. "No," she repeated. "As far as she knows, you're still with the Royal Guard. You're still her friend. I'm not going to put you both in a position that will test that."

"She was testing that the moment she went along with the king's stupid plan!" he yelled, his voice echoing throughout the long hallway, the fury in his every word slamming into Marinette's heart over and over again. "I shouldn't have to hide for something like that-"

"You will anyway," she said, her voice low and even. "You're going to lay low until I find you again or the other way around because that's what's best. I don't care if you don't think the both of you are friends anymore, and I don't care if you're angry with me."

"I'm not angry with you," Chat said softly, taking a step forward. Marinette stepped back. His shoulders dropped. "I'm only trying to make sure you're safe." He paused, staring down at the water. "Fu reminded me of what that dumb plan to hate humans is a product of, and he reminded me of what its caused. I don't want you to be another victim to that. I need to be there by your side so that I feel like I'm doing something about it."

"You have been doing something about. Leaving me for a little while doesn't change that."

"Marinette," he said, and the word carried so many things that he couldn't give words to.

"Chat," she said, and she gave a slight push to his shoulder. He stumbled back as if she had shoved him. He gave her one last pleading look, and when she made no objection, he turned away from her, quickly melting into the shadows.

Now alone and terrified, Marinette turned away from the place Chat had last been, her entire body shaking with the effort to stay upright.

Maybe sending Chat away was a bad idea.

She took a step forward.

Maybe it wasn't.

Her feet sloshed through the water with every step she took, and the sound of it was almost startlingly loud in the deep silence around her. The ground beneath her feet was sort of like a ramp, and soon she was walking on dry land, one hand pressed over her heart to feel the heavy thumping of her nerves.

Up ahead a lone Echo flower glowed coolly, and the sight was less than inviting. As she walked closer, she saw that it had been planted right in front of a wall. Dead end.

When she was close enough to it, its petals unfurled slowly and carefully, and she heard the faintest hints of a whisper, repeated until it became a terrible mantra she couldn't quite decipher.

It was only when she was bent over the flower, one hand brushing her hair away from her ear, that she was able to hear words in the whispering.

" _Behind you."_

Marinette stiffened, fear making a place for itself at the base of her spine as she slowly stood up, her eyes level with a crack on the wall. Before she turned to face what was behind her, an almost funny thought occurred to her.

Who was it that had whispered the words 'behind you' into the flower? Was it Alya? Did she think it would be a cool joke to play on the scared human she was about to kill? To bend down and whisper in the flower and then hide out somewhere nearby?

The thought almost made Marinette laugh, and when she turned around, she found it difficult to hold back the lop-sided smile pulling at her lips.

She blinked, and the light in the corridor was back, revealing a stoic figure in armor. Alya.

The smile immediately slipped from Marinette's face, and the fear tingling at the base of her spine spread slowly until it was buzzing in her fingertips, in her eyes, in her bones.

"Stone, Object, SOUL," Alya started, and Marinette was surprised to hear that her voice was something light and lilting. It was almost beautiful. "You have all three of the things that will break the barrier. And then King Plagg will lead the attack on humanity. We will be able to take back the surface. And return the scorn and hatred we have received from them tenfold." She paused, seeming to survey Marinette's reaction. "Do you understand, human? This is your chance of redemption. Not every human has to die a villain."

Marinette appreciated the sentiment, at least.

"Offer the things that I want that are in your possession freely. Otherwise I'll be picking those earrings off your dead body, taking the yo-yo from your pocket, and ripping that SOUL from your lifeless chest."

The air in the corridor seemed thin and useless, not at all filling Marinette's lungs enough to satisfy her need to breathe. Yet she still stood her ground, keeping her chin up and her hands clenched into fists to hide their shaking.

"There is no need for violence." She was more than a little proud that her voice only shook a little bit.

Alya cocked her head. "So you intend to give me what I want?"

Marinette swallowed. "No. I intend to make you listen to what I have to say."

A deep purple sword appeared in the air beside Alya, and she put her hand on the handle, gripping it tightly and aiming it at Marinette. "I stopped listening to what humans had to say years ago."

"Maybe you can start listening at this moment," Marinette said, forcing her words out from her quickly closing throat. "It's possible that you and I want the same thing."

"The death of all humanity, including yourself?" She barked out a laugh that came out tinny through her helmet as she took a leisurely step forward, the sword still held out to Marinette. "I didn't know humans could be so self-destructive."

"I want to free the akumas. I want to break the barrier."

"That would be the death of you still," Alya said, though she stopped walking forward.

"It wouldn't," Marinette said, shaking her head. "Not if it's done peacefully. Akumas and humans don't have to be enemies. They could be friends." She paused, licking her lips. She wondered if she would like to place her bets on a dangerous game. "You and I could be friends."

She decided to play this roulette. Put the gun to her head, pull the trigger, hope that it's a blank.

Alya took a step forward, and then another, and another. The tip of her sword was pressed into the skin of Marinette's throat. "You will never be something I would ever stoop so low as to befriend."

Her words were a hiss of poison, and Marinette stared at the face of her demise. She lost the roulette.

"Go, Alya!" shouted an all-too-familiar voice from a few feet away. "I'll help you fight, if you need it!"

Manon appeared in the edges of Marinette's vision, and a more intense fear than she had ever felt before pulled at her bones. She could handle getting hurt or dying, she'd done it before after all, but she couldn't handle someone else getting hurt or dying _because of her._ Especially a kid.

She pleaded silently with her eyes to Alya, but Alya had already dropped her sword from Marinette's neck, her whole body looking a little stiff. She stepped away from Marinette, turning to Manon, who seemed to be seeing Marinette for the first time.

"Oh, hey, Marinette! Were you helping Alya fight?"

"Manon," Marinette said, her voice coming out in a whisper, "please go home."

"What?" Manon exclaimed, immediately pouting. "Why? Do you want to hog Alya all to yourself? That's unfair!" She crossed her arms, looking away from Marinette. A thought seemed to occur to her. "Wait… Alya, who are you fighting?"

The sword disappeared from Alya's hand in a flash of purple light, and she quickly stepped toward Manon, grabbing one of the little kid's ears.

"Hey!" Manon shouted, kicking her legs as Alya dragged her away. "You could at least be a little gentle!" There was a pause, and by that time they were already far down the corridor. "You aren't going to tell my mom about this, are you?"

They disappeared from Marinette's line of sight.

Marinette collapsed onto the ground, wrapping her arms around herself to dull the shaking at least a little bit.

She had been so close to dying at the hands of Alya, to being transported back to the last save point, which was before she had even met Fu. She could still feel the tip of the sword digging into her throat. She touched a finger to the spot, and when she withdrew her hand, there was a spot of blood staining her skin.

"Marinette!"

Chat's voice, not even three feet away from her. She opened her eyes, not even realizing she had closed them, and stared at him as he dropped to his knees in front of her.

"You're okay, right? Nothing broken?" His hands were on her, feeling her shoulders, her arms, her hands.

"I'm bleeding a little bit," she said, her voice still a little weak as she gestured to her throat, "but nothing major."

"What happened?" Chat asked, hurried and full of worry. He put a hand to her throat, carefully wiping away the deep red droplet of blood that had formed there. "Where did she go?"

"I tried to talk. She wouldn't listen." Marinette touched a finger to the tiny cut the sword had made. "She pointed her sword at me."

"You didn't fight back?" Chat asked, and he didn't sound accusing of her, but the question still made her bristle.

"I want to resolve these issues peacefully. I won't fight."

Chat traced his thumb over her cheekbone, gaze soft and sad. "I know that, Marinette. I know that." He paused, touching his forehead to hers briefly before he pulled away. "How did you get away?"

"Manon saved me."

"But she's supposed to be-"

"At home. I know. She's heading there now only because Alya is dragging her there. When she showed up, she didn't know that Alya was going to kill me, and I still don't know if she knows, but either way, Alya didn't want her to see what was going to happen." Marinette lowered her head. "I'm not sure what I expected of her, but I was so scared to see Manon there." She looked up at Chat, tears brimming in her eyes for a reason that she couldn't really place. "I thought Alya would hurt her. Why did I think that?"

Chat offered no answer, fixing her with that same soft and sad gaze.

"Am I just like her, assuming the worst in everyone I don't know?"

"You're not like her," Chat said, tracing invisible circles on her cheek. "You only assumed the worst because that's all you've seen from Alya." He paused, and his expression darkened. "And she doesn't assume the worst. She knows that not all humans are bad. She knows that. But she has a job to do, and that makes her all the more guilty."

"I tried to talk, Chat," she said, and she pressed her face to his shoulder. "But she wouldn't listen. To hardly one word I said."

"We'll make her listen. It's not impossible." He rubbed a hand on the back of her neck, and the other played with the hand in her lap.

"It sure feels like it."

"I promise it's not." He pressed a kiss to the side of her head, and it only was something made for comfort. She let out a sigh. "You can do this, Marinette. I know it."

She pulled away from him, her eyes filled with that determination that he had come to know so well. "Yeah. You're right." She stood and helped him up beside her. She had finished moping for the moment, it seemed.

A droplet of blood slithered down her neck, and she swept a hand over it, smearing red over the pale skin of her throat. The color matched the shade of her sweater.

"I can get through this peacefully and make friends with people who want to kill me. It can't be so hard, right?"


	32. Chapter 31

For a moment Chat let himself wonder how it was he managed to become close to someone so beautiful in both heart and soul. Probably because the person with such beautiful heart and soul was also one of the most stubborn people in the world who apparently wouldn't accept anything less that friendship. Some would call that stubbornness determination.

He guessed he was part of that some.

Marinette started walking without him, her hands clenched at her sides. She resembled Nathaneal's portrait of her so much, he almost laughed. But he managed to keep it to himself, jogging up to match her pace.

"Sweetheart, do you even know where you're going?" She stopped, and when she looked at him, he recognized both burning pride and a very potent fear. But she directed a slight frown at him, sticking her nose in the air and concealing whatever was going on in her mind.

"You're supposed to be the guide."

"We passed the corridor we were supposed to go down about ten steps ago."

She gave him a stink eye, turning around and walking back to the near invisible hallway that could only be seen now that the lighting in the cavern had gotten a little brighter.

"Do you remember that conversation we heard from the Echo flowers a little while ago?" Chat asked as they stepped into the hallway and onto a path made of black sand with bright blue grass sprouts popping out. "We'll get to hear the rest of it." The sand gave way to shallow water that reached just above Marinette's ankles.

The air filled with golden glitter-like particles, and Marinette stared at them in wonder. Her blue eyes reflected the color, and Chat couldn't help but stare.

"What are these?" she whispered, chasing after a particle with her finger.

Chat turned his attention to the particles, watching as they floated through the air. "Magic residue mixed with dust. It's kind a gross when you think about it, you know. Someone else's magic exuding from their pores and then mixing with dead skin and dirt."

Marinette shot him a look. "I think you just ruined this for me."

He shrugged. "It's still pretty to look at."

"Yeah, but I'm grossed out now."

They walked forward towards a near field of Echo flowers, their growth seemingly unhindered by the water. The whispers became harder to ignore as their petals unfurled with each step they took in their direction, but the voices were still undistinguishable.

The feel of the whispers was different than the other Echo flower that Marinette had seen before she met with Alya. The sound was heavy and foreboding then, but now it was something almost light and comforting.

As they neared the first Echo flower on the path, she could start to understand the words that were coming from it.

"… _Hmmm.. If I say my wish, you promise you won't laugh at me?"_

A particle of golden dust stuck to Marinette's cheek. She made a face, scratching it off her skin. Chat stifled at laugh. They moved on to the next Echo flower.

" _Of course I won't laugh!"_

Chat looked over at Marinette as they walked, and he carefully slipped his hand in hers. She didn't pull away.

" _Someday, I'd like to go up back up to the surface. Standing under the sky, looking at the world all around… That's my wish."_

Marinette felt Chat's hand tighten in hers, and she looked over at him, giving him a questioning look. He just smiled at her and pulled her to the next flower. There was a slight sound of laughter from the flower.

"… _You said you wouldn't laugh!"_

There was only one more flower ahead. They sloshed quietly through the water until they reached it.

" _Sorry, it's just funny… That's my wish, too."_

Marinette felt her heart clench, and she looked up at Chat. He was staring almost mournfully at the flower, and he closed his eyes, seeming to make a silent prayer. When he opened his eyes again, they were a bit glassy.

As they left the field of Echo flowers, back onto dry land, Marinette pulled him to a stop, searching his face and giving his hand a squeeze. "Hey, what's upsetting you?"

He looked up at the ceiling instead of her, seeming to compose himself. "I just… I really want to believe that the barrier can be broken peacefully. That you can bring us all up to the surface."

She looked up at the ceiling too, noticing the glimmer of gemstones and how similar they looked to stars. "Do you remember what it's like up there? Do you miss it?" she asked softly, looking back at Chat, who still didn't meet her eyes.

"I was born here in the Underground," Chat said, his eyes searching the ceiling like maybe if he looked hard enough, he'd find something important. "I've only seen the surface a handful of times, back when the Ruins were still open for all akumas."

There was a tightness in Marinette's chest that was growing with every word he spoke, and she realized with a start that this was probably the first time she was hearing something about Chat's past from he himself.

"My mother loved the surface. Loved humans." His eyebrows furrowed. Loved. Past tense. "She took me up through the entrance of the Underground. The hole in the mountain, you know?" She nodded, even though she was sure he didn't notice it. "She took me up there, and we sat on the edge of the hole. We stared up at the stars and talked until it was almost morning." His eyes were fixed on the gemstones on the ceiling, no doubt seeing the stars from that night. "It was a beautiful view, one that my mother loved. I miss that. I miss the stars."

Marinette felt an overwhelming surge of emotion, tears brimming in her eyes as she looked up at the gemstones. "I do, too."

"We'll see them again," Chat said, giving her hand a squeeze and finally looking down at her. "Just have to keep going forward, right?"

"Right."

A rickety bridge was ahead, the path dropping off into a thick darkness that Marinette didn't think she'd want to ever get familiar with. Chat went first, keeping his hand in hers. "Watch your step," he said, stepping over a particularly old plank in the bridge that looked near breaking.

Chat got to the end of the bridge first, and just as Marinette was about to join him, an all-too familiar voice called out to her.

"Marinette!"

She turned, her eyebrows furrowing as she looked at the little girl on the other side of the bridge. "You're supposed to be at home, Manon."

Manon looked between Chat and Marinette, uncharacteristically hesitant. Her hands fiddled with a button on her overalls. "I just… I just had to ask you a question."

"Okay, ask away."

She took a deep breath, looking up at Marinette. "Are you human?"

Marinette bit her bottom lip, glancing at Chat before turning back to Manon. "I am."

"Alya told me." For once, when she was talking about Alya, she didn't sound so excited. "She said I should stay away from 'that human.'" She paused, walking onto the bridge and carefully avoiding the fragile plank of wood as she stood in front of Marinette. "That makes us enemies now, right?"

"It doesn't have to mean that, Manon," Chat said gently from his place behind Manon. "I'm still friends with Marinette, aren't I?"

Manon seemed at a loss. "But Alya said-"

"Alya's wrong," Chat interrupted, his voice clear and more than a little intimidating.

Marinette turned and shot a look at him before looking back at Manon, whose bottom lip was trembling slightly. She knelt down to look her in the eyes. "If you really don't want to be friends with me anymore, I'm okay with that," she soothed. She didn't miss Chat's little grunt of disapproval.

"Say something mean to be," Manon sniffled, rubbing her nose and looking at Marinette with wide puppy eyes. "Say something mean to me so that we can't be friends anymore."

"I'm not going to say something mean to you," Marinette said, her voice soft. A tear slipped out of Manon's eyes, and she rubbed at them fiercely.

"If you won't, t-then I will." She let out a soft sob, and Marinette stared, unsure of how to make her feel better. "I… I hate you!" she tried, but her voice broke midway through, and she hung her head. "I don't like saying that," Manon said softly, and she took a step away from Marinette. "I feel awful… I'm going home."

She wasn't paying attention to where she was stepping, too busy wiping away her tears. Her foot landed directly on the rotting plank of wood that she had stepped over so carefully before. It broke.

It almost seemed to happen in slow motion. Marinette saw Manon's foot fall through the wood, saw the splinters fly through the air, saw the fear in Manon's eyes. Manon flailed through the air as she fell, and it seemed almost a miracle that her small hands caught on another plank of wood on the bridge. Her feet dangled over the gnawing darkness.

Time sped up again.

Manon gripped the wood until her knuckles turned white, panic making her eyes wide. "H-help!" she screamed. "I don't want to fall!"

Chat rushed for the bridge, but Marinette held out her hand to stop him. "You'll shake the bridge," she said, her voice about as shaky as the bridge felt at the moment. On the other side of the bridge, a person in full armor stepped into view.

Alya took a step onto the bridge, but Marinette thrust her hand out, glaring up at her. She froze, and Marinette spared only another quick glance at her before looking back to Manon. "I'm coming, Manon. Just hang on."

She shuffled forward, careful not to shake the bridge, until she reached Manon. "Grab onto me," Marinette instructed, offering a hand, keeping the other gripped tight to the wood so that she herself wouldn't fall.

"I-I'm going to fall," Manon stuttered, tears leaking out of her eyes.

"You won't," Marinette promised. "I'll catch you."

There was only a moment's more worth of hesitation before Manon grabbed Marinette's hand and allowed her to pull her back up.

Once she was on the bridge again, Manon hugged Marinette so tight, the breath left her chest a little. "You saved my life," she said, squeezing Marinette tighter.

Marinette wasn't sure what to say to that, so she just hugged Manon back, stoking the top of her head lightly.

Alya stepped onto the bridge again. "Marinette," Chat warned. For the first time, Alya seemed to notice Chat's presence. He said nothing more, only fixed her with a cold stare.

Manon pulled away from Marinette, alerted by Chat's warning, and turned to Alya. She took a deep breath, though her voice still shook when she spoke. "If y-you want t-to hurt my f-friend, y-you're going to have t-to go through m-me first."

"That's not-" Marinette started to say, but she felt Chat step onto the bridge behind her, placing a hand on her shoulder,

"Me as well," he said, his voice sure. He stared at Alya, not at all wavering, and Marinette turned back to give him a pleading look. He didn't back off.

There was a moment in which Alya seemed to analyze the situation in front of her: a small child and a former friend guarding a human she wanted to kill. The tension in the air was thick and suffocating.

Alya turned around, walking off the bridge and back the way she had come without a word.

As soon as she was gone, Marinette had half a mind to turn around and scold Chat for doing _exactly_ what she didn't want him to do, but Manon was still around, so she saved her tongue-lashing for later.

Manon breathed out a sigh of relief. "That was really scary." She wiped the remains of her tears away. "But I really did want to stay being your friend. I guess Alya isn't as great as I thought she was if she doesn't want to be friends with you."

"I'm sure she really is great," Marinette replied, not eager to ruin a little kid's dreams. "And besides, I'm sure she'll warm up to me soon enough. Right, Chat?"

She looked back at him, and he looked away. "Right." Marinette frowned at him, but he didn't seem to notice. "Manon, you should really be heading home now." For once, Manon didn't protest. Instead, she nodded.

"I really want to go home," she said, and her voice was soft and vulnerable. Marinette thought that facing death and confronting a childhood idol was a little too much excitement for a kid. "I bet my parents are worried about me."

"You're probably right," Marinette said. "You shouldn't go alone, though."

"I'll take her," he said, carefully maneuvering around Marinette on the bridge so that he was closest to Manon.

Before Chat could follow Manon off the bridge, Marinette grabbed his wrist, pulling him to face her. "You shouldn't have done that," she said, keeping her voice low.

"Done what?" he asked, expression innocent.

"You know what," she said, somewhat exasperated. "You knew I didn't want you revealing that you were close to me to Alya. You knew I didn't want to put the both of you in that position. I don't want you getting hurt because of me and feeling like you have to fight someone you care about because of me."

Chat studied her face for a moment. "You're trying to do something good, and Alya is trying to stop you. And I care about you enough to not care whether or not I get hurt when you're in danger. I'm not letting you go through this alone."

Manon looked back at them from her place on steady ground. "Chat? Marinette?"

"I'll be there in a second," Chat called back.

"It was a mistake, and deep down you know it," Marinette said, searching his eyes for confirmation that she was right. He didn't give her any.

"I'm not going to hide, Marinette. And I'm not going to pretend that what I said to her was a lie." His gaze was penetrating and heavy. "I will protect you with everything that I have."

She stared at him for a moment longer, trying to find a way to convince him that it was too dangerous for him to help her so openly. It seemed he was just as stubborn as she was.

"Take Manon home," she finally said, letting go of Chat's wrist and stepping away from him.

For a moment, he looked hurt, but he said nothing of it. "If you keep walking, you should get to the outskirts of Hotland. It's a straight path, no puzzles or traps. I'll be there as soon as I can." He paused, and he took her hand, bringing it up to his lips. "Be safe, Marinette," he whispered against her knuckles, and then he turned back to Manon.

And they left..

Deep down, Marinette appreciated Chat's insistence on protecting her, but she couldn't accept that he was willing to get hurt because of her. Really, no one should get hurt, but if she had to, fine. It was whatever. But no way would she drag anyone else into her fights. Especially someone she cared about.

She walked off the bridge and continued forward.

It wasn't long before the path ended with the only way to continue being an ominous looking cave. A horrible feeling settled over her as she looked up at the cave walls.

On the very top of the rock formation that made up the cave, Alya stood menacingly, framed in by the rock formations and the hint of cobbled-together metal structures in the distance.

This definitely wasn't good.

"You, human, are all that is standing between the akumas freedom," Alya said, and Marinette found that she could hear her perfectly despite her being pretty far away. "The power that you hold is the exact amount we need to be free. You have refused to give up."

Marinette couldn't speak. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to say.

"You've made it this far. It's only fair that you understand why it is so important for us akumas to be freed from the Underground. It all started long ago…" She trailed off, and a moment passed in which Marinette waited for Alya to continue. "You know what?" Alya started, her voice startling after the moment of silence. She tore of her helmet, throwing it to the ground. It just missed Marinette's feet.

"You don't want to fight anymore?" Marinette asked hopeful.

"What? Of course I want to fight, you idiot," Alya said leveling Marinette with a glare.

Her green eyes bored into Marinette as she frowned, her full lips turning down. Once again, Marinette was struck by how beautiful Alya was. First with her voice the first time she'd heard her speak, and now with her face.

"I just think I shouldn't care about telling you _anything_ because you're going to die anyway! You're in the way of everybody's hopes and dreams, so you have to be completely _annihilated."_ Marinette thought that maybe she didn't have to be _completely_ annihilated, but she didn't have time to speak up before Alya started talking again. "I used to think humans were okay, but my thoughts have changed since then, and you've only cemented my dislike."

Marinette blinked. "I don't think I did anything to-"

"You did!" Alya interrupted, her thick and two-toned pony tail blowing around in a wind that for all Marinette knew had been manifested by her rage. "You're just a big coward! Hiding behind children and traitors." She seemed to hesitate a little on the last word, as if she didn't want to believe it was true.

"I wasn't hiding," Marinette said, trying to keep her voice steady. "And Chat isn't a traitor."

"He is," she said, and this time she seemed more sure of herself. "He was a part of the Royal Guard, and his duty was to capture any humans and kill them. Instead he makes friends with one. He's a traitor to the palace, and he's a traitor to me."

This had been exactly what Marinette had feared. "He's not a traitor if what he wants is to free the akumas!" she said, her anger suddenly flaring. "You can't just assume something without stepping back and looking at the big picture."

Alya let out a bark of a laugh that didn't sound humorous in the least. "And there it is! That stupid goody-two-shoes act! It's like you think you'll be spared if you act like you care and pretend to defend traitors."

"I'm not acting!" Marinette yelled. "I do care! I care about the akumas, and I care about their freedom, which – guess what – includes yours even though you've been almost nothing but horrid since I first saw you." Now that she was worked up, she found it hard to calm down to try and reasonably talk her way out of fighting. She just ended up talking unreasonably. "You know that you and I aren't much different. You used to be human, too."

" _Used_ to be," Alya snarled, her lip curling up. "I'm not anymore, which means I don't have to listen to your stupid rambling or how you 'care' about us. Because you don't care. Not really. All you care about is saving your own skin, and we akumas don't need a selfish savior like that. We don't need you."

"Except you do. Because you need the power that I have." Talking unreasonably.

"And we'll have it!" Alya near screamed, and Marinette flinched back. "We'll take it from you, and then we'll finally have what we've wanted for so long. Every moment in our history has led us up to this moment, and no way am I backing down to you because you think you're so important. Not when everyone is depending on me." She paused, taking a moment to catch her breath. Marinette saw a save point flicker into existence a few feet to her right. Now calm, Alya regarded Marinette with a cool glare. "Step forward when you're ready to face your demise."

Marinette turned toward the save point, not even caring how strange it might look to someone who couldn't see them. She touched it, and the world went still.

 _ **The wind is howling.**_

 _ **You're filled with determination…**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

The question didn't even matter anymore. Marinette already knew the answer.

She pressed 'yes' and turned back to Alya, fear making her legs shake as she stepped forward. "I'm ready."

"No more running," Alya said, watching as Marinette took another step forward. "No more hiding. Let's get started." She drew back her arm, and a purple spear appeared in her hand.

She hurled the spear directly at Marinette.

Just before the spear could strike Marinette in the head, Marinette dove to the side. Her heart materialized in front of her chest, and she clutched it tight.

"Not bad," Alya commented, and she jumped off of the cave entrance she had been standing on, landing confidently on her feet. Marinette was sure a jump like that would've injured a human's ankles at least a little bit, but Alya wasn't human.

The spear had stabbed into the ground where Marinette had stood, and Alya plucked it from the ground as if it were a toothpick. She swung it once around her head, and it turned a brilliant green.

"If you need any advice, human, which I know you do, the only way you're going to be able to put up a good fight is if you take me head on." She slashed the now green spear through Marinette's hands, which were still holding her SOUL, but it didn't hurt.

"I… I don't want to fight," Marinette said weakly, but Alya didn't seem to notice. Marinette unwrapped her hands from around her SOUL and found that it was the same brilliant shade of green as the spear in Alya's hands.

Alya's face split into a stunning grin. "You're green now."

When Marinette let her SOUL go, a green shield made out of magic materialized on her arm, and she stared at it blankly.

Tiny purple arrows materialized in front of Marinette, and on instinct, she brought the shield up to cover her SOUL. The shield held up against the tiny arrows and Marinette looked up at Alya, sort of surprised.

But Alya didn't seem to notice. She was too busy making more tiny arrows, this time sending them in all directions around Marinette. She whirled around in place, trying to judge which one was going to hit first. As she moved, her SOUL moved also so that it was always directly in front of her.

The first arrow that hit came from the right side. Marinette didn't have the shield aiming towards it. The arrow lodged in her arm before disintegrating in purple light. Her sweater didn't have a hole in it, but she could still feel a little bit of blood run down her bicep. Without the sweater, she was sure it would've been a lot worse.

After the first hit, Marinette was sure to pay more attention to where the arrows were. She started to get the hang of it enough to divide some of her attention to trying to convince Alya to stop the fight.

"I really don't want to keep fighting you."

Alya ignored her, continuing to summon more and more purple arrows.

"Because these attacks aren't doing much for me."

It seemed that talking unreasonably had turned into a hobby of Marinette's.

Alya's head snapped up, and she raised her eyebrows at Marinette. "Is that a challenge?"

"And if it is?"

Instead of answering, Alya summoned more arrows, her lips pulling into a smile so gruesomely child-like in nature that it made Marinette shiver with fear. The attacks got faster.

Again, Marinette got used to them enough to try and run her mouth. "We could try and solve this peacefully," she tried, but Alya still didn't seem to be listening to Marinette's reasonable talk. At least when she was being unreasonable something happened.

While Marinette's thoughts were distracted with what was reasonable and wasn't, an arrow struck her SOUL. She reeled back in pain, clutching her chest where a deep ache had flared up.

"You say that I'm a coward," Marinette started, her chest throbbing with every word she spoke. Pain and anger made her lose her thoughts on reason. "But here you are hiding behind all this magic. You won't even fight me yourself."

Alya didn't even bother giving that a verbal response, instead just curling her lip back in disgust as she swung her bright green spear around her head and slashed it at Marinette. Her SOUL turned red once more.

Inside her pocket, the Miraculous beeped, and she slipped her hand in to pull out the slip of paper as Alya made her advance towards her. The paper only had one small command on it, as per usual. _'Run.'_

It was stupid and dumb and foolish and whatever other synonyms, but she turned and ran towards the cave. Her SOUL slipped back into her chest.

She was so surprised that running had actually worked that she stopped, looking back to see Alya standing dumbfounded where Marinette had left her. And then her somewhat dazed expression changed to absolute rage. She charged after Marinette. Marinette didn't turn around fast enough. Alya swung her spear above her head and slashed Marinette with it, bringing her SOUL out and turning it that same shade of green.

Marinette let out a curse as the shield materialized on her arm, purple arrows already starting to surround her to prevent her escape.

"I won't let you get away," Alya said, watching idly as Marinette blocked the arrows. "You know, no human has ever made it past Plagg. Killing you now is basically mercy."

"Wow, thanks," Marinette, her voice dripping with sarcasm as her right arm got struck by another arrow. "But you don't seem one for mercy."

"You're right about that," Alya said with a toothy grin, and the attacks got faster.

An arrow hurtled toward Marinette, and she hurried to block it, but it stopped just short of her shield. She stared at it, realizing too late that it had a tiny purple pause button hovering over the shaft. Arrows continued to come at her from all sides, but since she had been distracted by the paused arrow, she wasn't able to block them all in time. She got two arrows in her left arm, one in her right, and three in her back. The paused arrow unpaused itself without warning and hit Marinette's SOUL.

It seemed that as well as being fast, the attacks had now gotten unfair. Not one for mercy, indeed.

Another speedy attack of arrows hurtled at Marinette, and she blocked them all despite the pain in her body. "You're still not fighting me directly!" Marinette managed to shout. Last time she'd said that, it gave her a way to escape. "Just admit it, you're a coward!

"The only coward here is you!" Alya screeched, swinging her spear at Marinette. As expected, it slashed through her and turned her SOUL red.

Marinette immediately turned and ran, her SOUL sliding back into her body. Her lungs heaved, the adrenaline coursing through her body doing more against her than for her as she tried her best to ignore the terrible anxiety and fear pulling at every single breath.

She felt more than heard Alya gaining on her, and she tried her best to run faster, but she only got a couple more steps in before Alya had slashed her with her spear and stopped her in her tracks. Her SOUL was green again.

"You aren't getting away from me again," Alya said, summoning more purple spears to surround Marinette. "This is the end for you."

It certainly did seem like the end to Marinette, who had failed to block more than half of the volley of arrow that had been launched at her. She was still alive, but her entire body pulsed with pain.

The attacks were fast and unfair, but Marinette stayed alive.

"Just die already, you stupid human!"

All Marinette could think to reply was a very smart "no!"

Alya let out a howl of frustration and slashed her spear through Marinette's SOUL, turning it red once more. Before Marinette could even think to react, white arrows materialized around her, and without her shield she tried her best at dodging. An arrow skimmed her shin, but it was only a flesh wound and didn't hurt her that much.

Alya was preparing another volley of white arrows, but she didn't get the chance to launch them before Marinette ran, pumping her legs and her sort of numb arms to give her a lead. Blood ran down the front of her leg, and it sort of tickled.

A large neon sign on the cavern wall caught her eye with all its flashing light. _Welcome to Hotland._

An irritating beeping sound came from her pocket, and Marinette fumbled for the Miraculous, her clumsy fingers pulling it out and dropping it on the ground. She let out a small yelp, dropping to her knees and grabbing the yo-yo before Alya could get to it.

The phone icon was blinking on and off, and Marinette turned to Alya. "I, um, have a phone call."

The situation was so bizarre that Alya stopped just short of slashing Marinette with her spear again.

Marinette answered the phone.

"Hello, Marinette! It's me, Nino."

"Oh, um. Hey." She glanced at Alya, hoping she couldn't hear Nino's voice. She really didn't want to get both Chat _and_ Nino in trouble.

"What are you doing right now?"

"Just… running around."

"That's cool. I was thinking that maybe later you, me, and Alya could all hang out together at Alya's house. Doesn't that sound fun?" He sounded genuinely excited about it, and Marinette didn't want to ruin that despite the fact that Alya was literally standing right in front of her with her spear poised to kill.

"Yeah, of course," Marinette said, trying her best to match his enthusiasm.

"I'll get it all arranged," Nino promised. "I'll talk to you later, okay? Tell Chat I said hi!" He hung up.

The very moment Marinette brought the yo-yo down from her ear, Alya swung her spear. Her SOUL detached from her chest, and Marinette silently cursed Nino for holding her up.

Except Alya didn't even bother turning her SOUL green, instead immediately sending a volley of white arrows her way.

Marinette dodged them with a bit of effort, and then she turned and ran before Alya could send another volley after her. Her SOUL pushed back into her chest.

The deep purples and blues of the cavern changed almost immediately to packed orange dirt and rock. Marinette didn't even pause to consider the abrupt change in scenery, her feet taking her past an abandoned sentry station and onto a rickety bridge with nothing but a river of molten lava beneath it.

She was kind of tired of rickety bridges with a horrible death written all over them. Didn't the akumas every hear of things called railings?

Despite her fear, Marinette ran onto the bridge, the heat of the lava and the general atmosphere making her sweat. It was almost unbearable, but she managed to get across. Just as she got onto steady ground again, a loud thump made her stop running.

Turning around, she was met with the sight of Alya sprawled on the rickety bridge, her face dripping with sweat. Her cheeks were flushed a deep red, and the hair in her ponytail had begun frizzing out. She looked near death.

"Armor," Alya wheezed, "too hot." She paused, her face twisting in an expression of frustration and determination. "But I can't… give up." She reached out to Marinette with a shaking and armored hand.

And then Alya went limp.


	33. Chapter 32

Marinette stared at Alya. After everything that had happened, Alya just passing out from heat stroke felt a little underwhelming, and Marinette took a moment to think about the strange humor in that.

And then it finally registered in her mind that Alya had passed out from heat stroke.

"Oh, God," Marinette muttered, panic starting to set in. "What do I do, what do I do, what do I do?" She put her hands in her already very disheveled hair, looking around at the orange dirt and rock and feeling the heat of the air pull beads of sweat out of her pores.

As she was looking around frantically, her eyes landed on a very conveniently placed water cooler with a small stack of Styrofoam cups stacked next to it. She fumbled for a cup with shaking hands and poured some water from the water cooler into it, praying she didn't spill most of the contents by the time she reached Alya.

She hurried over to where Alya had collapsed on the bridge, careful not to look over the sides at the flowing river of molten lava. Kneeling down, it struck her that she still had no idea what to do.

Yes, she had water. Did she know what to do with it? No.

"Please don't be dead," she said softly, placing a shaking finger on Alya's neck to try and feel for a pulse. "That would be very bad." She had a pulse, but it was a little faint. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief none the less.

She looked down at the quickly evaporating cup of water in her hands and then at Alya. "Please don't take offense to this," she said, and then dumped the water directly on Alya's head.

Alya spluttered awake, her dark green eyes snapping open and very quickly focusing on Marinette, who immediately shifted backwards to give her some space. Her gaze flitted around the surroundings, seeing the water cooler, the cup in Marinette's hands, Marinette.

Realization at what must have happened dawned on her face, and she stared at Marinette with a bewildered look.

"Um." The initial freak out of witnessing someone collapse had faded and was now replaced with the freak out of reviving someone who had collapsed who just so happened to have a nasty habit of trying to kill humans. Now that Marinette had gotten this far, she had no idea what to do next. Alya could literally kill her at this moment, and it would all be Marinette's fault because she revived her.

But Alya didn't do anything.

She carefully stood up on the rickety bridge, regarded Marinette for a moment longer, and then walked away. _Walked away._

Marinette sat on the bridge for who knows how long, wondering how her luck managed to be so good in that moment. And then she realized that her skin was starting to burn a little from her proximity to lava. And that her shin was stinging. And that there was a deep ache throughout most of her upper body.

Now that there was no adrenaline pumping through her veins to help along her movements, it was a difficult task to stand up and walk to steady ground.

She knew Chat would be returning to her at any minute, but she didn't really like the idea of sitting down and waiting for him by the water cooler and trying to tend to her wounds. The best option was to continue forward and rely on the hope that Chat would find her again, which didn't seem all that unrealistic since he had done it before.

Continuing on the path, she was very relieved to see a save point glittering on the ground a few feet in front of her. Blocking the path after the save point stood what looked to be a laboratory, pristine and white. There were two paths that went to the north and south, which Marinette guessed were ways to get past the laboratory, but the north path was blocked by two guards who seemed relatively passive about her presence.

Thinking about how to keep moving came second to the save point, though. Save points could heal. Which means that when Chat met back up with her again, she wouldn't have to worry him too much.

The world went still as she touched the save point, and the blistering heat of the air lessened a little. Marinette breathed a little sigh of relief.

 _ **Seeing such a strange laboratory in a place like this…**_

 _ **You're filled with determination.**_

 _ **Would you like to save?**_

Marinette pressed the 'yes' button, the heat immediately biting at her cheeks as the world unfroze.

"It's pretty hot here, and I promise it's not just because I showed up."

A small shriek slipped from Marinette mouth as she jumped back, one hand clutching her chest, the other held out in front of her in a defensive manner. Chat stood staring at her, seemingly amused with her reaction. "You scared me," she said, relaxing a little at the sight of his face.

"Really? I hadn't noticed."

It only took a moment for Marinette to remember on what terms they separated on, and she frowned, looking over his expression to check for that look of hurt that he'd had when she brushed him off. There wasn't any trace of it.

"Is Manon safe at home?"

"Extremely grounded, but safe," Chat said with a shrug. "But I think she's okay with her sentence for now. By the time her mom finished scolding her, I'm pretty sure she was ready to pass out. I left when her mom made her take a nap."

"That's good." A worry that had been weighing Marinette down lifted. And now to the other worry. "I… I'm sorry for acting cold to you when you left to take Manon," Marinette said, voice hesitant. She chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, then looked up at Chat, who was watching her carefully.

"But you aren't sorry for what you said."

Marinette took a deep breath. "No. I'm not."

Chat let out a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "I figured as much." He looked down at the ground, making a fist in his hair as he thought. "I think we're just going to have to agree to disagree, bug," he finally said, looking up at Marinette and letting go of his hair. It stuck up at several odd angles.

"I don't see why we have to disagree," Marinette said, crossing her arms and furrowing her eyebrows. "I don't want you getting hurt."

"Yeah, and I don't want _you_ getting hurt," Chat countered, giving her a look that said she wasn't understanding something very important. "There's so much at stake if you get hurt, and I'm just trying to protect you."

"The same goes for you," she said, unrelenting. "When I saw Alya just now-"

"You saw her?" Chat interrupted. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

She blinked. "It wasn't a big deal."

"So, what? You're just going to not tell me things because you think it isn't a big deal? Even though it is?" He was obviously angry, but Marinette couldn't really understand why.

"Of course, I would've told you at some point, it just didn't seem that important at the moment," she said, taking a step back. "Stop being ridiculous."

" _I'm_ being ridiculous?" Chat demanded, and Marinette shrank back a little. "I'm just trying to help you out, make sure you don't get killed! It's like you don't understand how much I care about you and how much I want to be a part of what you're doing."

Marinette looked down at her boots, trying to think of what to say to that. "You're right, maybe I don't," she said slowly, picking her words carefully. "I don't understand how much you care, but if it's like that, then you don't understand how I care." She paused, looking up at him. He was taking in every word she was saying, and she knew that now he would actually _listen_ to her. "The reason I'm so intent on you staying away when Alya is around is because I care about you. You say you want to protect me, and I'm saying that I want to protect you."

Chat blew out a breath, his shoulders falling as if his muscles were just now letting go of tension. "I know that," he said, nodding his head. "I know that, but I think it's a little late for that if Alya already knows I'm with you. There's no point in trying to protect me from her if she already knows, okay?"

Marinette didn't like it, but she nodded. "Okay."

"Now can you tell me what happened?"

And so, she told him everything.

"Can't say I'm pleased with being called a traitor," Chat mumbled after she finished. "But it looks like she's finally understanding that you aren't evil. She'll probably stop hunting you down."

"Because I threw water on her face?"

"Yeah, pretty much." Marinette rolled her eyes. "Sure, it sounds dumb, but Alya has a strong sense of loyalty. It's why she's stuck with the Royal Guard for so long, even though she didn't agree with the policies at first. You saved her life, so now she probably feels indebted to you."

"Which means that she won't be killing me so avidly."

"Basically."

"Nice to know."

Chat looked up at the white laboratory behind Marinette, a strange look crossing over his face. "So, what's next?" She looked over at him, raising an eyebrow. "Ah, I guess I should be the one figuring out what's next."

"You being the tour guide and all."

"Right." He looked around, his eyes catching on the guards blocking one path. "Best not to get in any sort of fight, so that path is a no go. We can go through the lab pretty easily, I think, so that's an option. The other path," – he pointed to the unblocked path – "is where the ferryman is, so if you want to go back to Snowdin or Waterfall for any reason, we can go there before the lab."

Marinette pulled out her yo-yo, opening up the storage compartment and peering at the contents. She had a bunch of odds and ends that she'd collected in there, as well as a few more gold coins than what she remembered having. Her stock of food had been depleted to one unicicle, Stormy's Nice Cream, freeze-dried packaged food, and Fu's crap apple. It seemed like too much for one person to have, but then again Marinette got hurt quite often. And she'd very much like extra just in case Chat got into trouble, too, which was almost a given.

"I think I want to head back to Snowdin for a little bit," Marinette said, closing her yo-yo and slipping it back into her pocket. "Just to go to the shop and get some food before we move on."

Chat scanned Marinette's face, and then the entirety of her appearance. Under his scrutiny, she shrank a bit, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious. She knew she probably looked more than bit rough, given that the last time she had a proper shower was when she and Chat were in Snowdin.

"We'll stop by Grillby's, too," Chat said with a nod of his head, starting to walk towards the path to the ferryman. "It's been a while since we had a proper meal. And I think we should get some rest at the Inn, too."

"We just had rest at Nathaneal's," Marinette said, although she wasn't really protesting to the idea of a shower and a warm bed for at least a couple of hours.

"Real rest," Chat said, casting a look over his shoulder at her and giving her a soft smile. "We both know we need it."

They reached the end of the path, the sound of slow moving water echoed throughout the cave-like place, which had the same sort of blue and purple rock that Waterfall did. Reading a book on a small boat that was floating gently on the waves of the river was a man wearing clothing Marinette would best describe as archeologist-like. He wore an Egyptian ankh around his neck, and the glass lense of one side of his glasses had been shattered, giving Marinette a clear view of his unsettling blue eye, no iris or whites that she could tell. A pharaoh's headdress adorned his head.

"Jalil," Chat said, and the man looked up from the thick book in his hands, leveling Chat and Marinette with a stare that made Marinette's blood run cold. His blue eye seemed to glow unnaturally, while the other eye was just a regular cerulean sort of color. It didn't help that he didn't seem to be pleased with their presence.

"Chat," Jalil replied, snapping the book closed with a sharp thud. His gaze shifted to Marinette, who was standing rigidly perhaps a foot her so behind Chat. "I haven't seen you before. Who might you be?"

"My name is Marinette," she said, stepping forward.

Jalil got up from his lounging position on his boat, stretching and popping his back, and he placed the book on top of a pile of others. "Well, Marinette, would you care for a ride on my ferry?"

She looked over at Chat, unsure. It sounded as though Jalil was only offering a ride to her. "I would," she said hesitantly, "but Chat also-"

"I know that," Jalil interrupted, and although his voice wasn't loud or scary, it still made Marinette flinch. "If he's with you, he can ride."

"Oh, okay," Marinette said, her voice small and unsure.

"Thank you, Jalil," Chat said, bowing his head a little.

He side-eyed Chat, his lips twitching just the slightest bit down before his expression returned to neutral. "Don't mention it."

Chat helped Marinette into the boat, gripping her hand as she stepped inside and not letting go until he himself was inside as well. As if he was afraid Jalil would leave without him.

Jalil picked up the oar to the boat, positioning himself at the bow and slowly steering the boat onto the faster waves of the river. The boat rocked gently with each stroke Jalil made, and Marinette sat with her legs drawn in, her limbs feeling stiff.

She looked over at the pile of books by Jalil's feet. They were all about time travel.

They spent a few minutes in silence before Chat spoke up. "Have you… made any progress?" he asked, and Jalil's grip on the oar tightened. His knuckle turned white.

"No. She's just as lost as the last time you bothered to ask." Marinette didn't miss the bitterness in his voice.

For a moment, Chat remained silent, and when Marinette looked over at him, she saw that he was worrying his bottom lip with his teeth, his eyebrows scrunched together. "Jalil, you know I-"

"Science isn't your thing anymore," Jalil interrupted, tone blunt and monotonous. No trace of emotion whatsoever. "I know." And then quieter, to himself. "I know."

The rest of the ride was spent in a heavy silence. When they reached a small snow-covered dock, Jalil gently pulled the boat to a stop, dipping his oar deep into the water and holding it there, as if that was the anchor.

"Service is free," Jalil said as Chat climbed out of the boat and helped Marinette out as well. "Come to me when you want to go back to Hotland."

"Thank you, Jalil," Marinette said. He only offered a slight nod, picking up the same book he'd been reading when they'd arrived and opening it back up. It's like Chat and Marinette didn't exist anymore.

"I'm sorry about that," Chat said dipping his head as he led Marinette through the quaint outskirts of Snowdin. "Jalil and I have a sort of history."

"And it isn't all that great?"

Chat glanced back at the direction of the ferry, his footsteps pausing for a moment. "He partially blames me for something that happened in the past. He blames me more for not helping to fix it." His steps resumed, and Marinette followed after him, trying to process the words.

"Why aren't you helping now?" she asked, looking over at him. His eyes were troubled as he stared down at the dirty snow. "I mean, if you're okay with me asking."

"No, no, it's fine," he said, casting a look over to her before returning his gaze to the snow. "It's a valid question. I wish I could provide you with an answer that made sense."

"So even you're not sure why you aren't helping?" Marinette asked, her eyebrows knitting together. "Chat, that's-"

"Don't get me wrong; I know why. It's just that the story is pretty complicated. Not to mention long."

Marinette was silent for a beat. "Okay. Just… Tell me when you think we have time. When you're comfortable."

Chat looked over at her, and his expression was as soft and smooth as honey, his lips turning up into a little smile. "Thank you, Marinette."

They were now in front of the small shop that they had intended to go to, and Marinette gave Chat one more worried look before she pushed the door open and stepped inside.

Rose, the shopkeeper, stood behind the counter, arranging some products and trinkets into a pleasing pattern. She looked up at the tinkle of the bell attached to the door, and her face brightened visibly.

"Hey!" she exclaimed, and Marinette blushed a little at the broad grin that spread across her face. "I remember you! That newcomer who was just passing through with a special friend." Marinette blushed even more. "Though I don't remember catching your name."

"Marinette," she said, walking forward a little shyly. "Hey, Rose."

Chat looked between the two, his eyes narrowed. "Well, we're just here for-"

"Oh, goodness, Marinette! Is _Chat_ the special friend?" she asked, her eyebrows raised. Marinette looked over to Chat, and she realized that the last time she'd been in the shop, she'd bought a bell for Chat. Which he was still wearing. She guessed it wasn't hard to put two and two together.

"It's really not like that," Marinette said, waving her hands a little and blushing furiously. She wondered if she was lying.

There was a beat of silence. Chat stepped up beside her, slinging an arm around her shoulder. "Sweetheart, it's not nice to lie like that."

"Oh, my God," Marinette mumbled, trying to decide if she should get even more flustered or just roll her eyes. It felt like it had been forever since he'd used such a dumb nickname and had teasingly flirted with her. Now that her feelings were a lot more solid than before, she wasn't sure if she could handle it.

"I was right," Rose cooed, and Marinette shrugged out of Chat's grasp, putting a hand over her face. "Oh, no need to be embarrassed like that. Being in love is great."

"She's right, honey," Chat whispered into her ear, and Marinette could just _imagine_ the horrible smug, shit-eating grin on his face. She shoved his face away.

" _Anyway,"_ Marinette said, trying to shift the conversation away from whatever was happening. "I came to get some more food." She looked around the shop, her eyes catching on a cooler she vaguely remembered.

She walked over to it and pulled out three bicicles, thinking about how much the other ones she'd bought had helped her. "I think this'll be all," she said, placing the bicicles on the counter.

Chat walked up behind her, placing his chin on her shoulder and wrapping his arms around her waist. Marinette's heart did a little dance. "Are you sure that's enough?" he asked, and she turned her head a little to look at him only to find that he was already looking at her, his face centimeters away from hers.

"I still have all the other stuff," she said, trying not to show how much that affected her and turning back to the counter. His hair tickled her cheek.

Rose told them how much it would be, and Marinette pulled out the gold coins from her yo-yo, carefully counting them out and placing them on the counter. After they had paid and Marinette had put the three bicicles in her yo-yo, Rose gave them a little smile.

"I'm glad you two came in when you did. I was just about to head out to visit my partner out by the capitol. If you had come a little later, you would've missed me," she said, and she grabbed a bag behind the counter and lifted it up for them to see.

"That would've been bad," Chat said, though he didn't sound like he would've cared much. Marinette raised an eyebrow at him.

"It was nice seeing you again," Marinette said, disentangling herself from Chat's arms and watching as Rose stepped out from behind the counter.

"Same to you, Marinette," Rose replied, following them as they walked out of the shop. She flicked the light switch and the warm glow of the shop turned off. When she was out into the snow, she shivered. "I hope to see the both of you again soon," she said, turning back to them and giving them a parting wave before heading off to what looked like the dock that Chat and Marinette had been. For a brief moment, Marinette wondered if Jalil would be back there when she and Chat wanted to leave. She shook the thought away.

Marinette turned to look at Chat, raising an eyebrow. "What made you act like that?" she asked, and Chat stuck his nose in the air.

"I'm sure I have no idea what you're talking about." The smile playing on his lips told her otherwise. "Where do you want to go next? We could eat before sleep or after, your choice."

For the moment, Marinette let Chat's behavior slide. She thought for a second. And in that second, she realized the drowsiness pulled out of her by the cold air. "Sleep first."

"You got it, bug."

The Inn was right next to the shop, so the walk wasn't a long one. When they walked inside, Marinette recognized the boy behind the counter, and it seemed he recognized her as well. A playful grin pulled at his face when he saw Marinette and Chat walk in together.

Chat held out his hand to Marinette. "What?" she asked, tearing her eyes away from Ali.

"Give me some gold coins so I can pay for our stay."

"What? I can pay for it myself." She looked over at him, squinting at the noticeably jealous look on his face, his eyes fixed on Ali. "Don't tell me you're jealous."

"Hm."

Marinette looked at Ali, who seemed to be laughing a little. "Oh, my God, you're ridiculous," she said, letting herself laugh and pulling out her yo-yo to hand Chat the money.

"Call me whatever you like, sweetheart," he said, walking to the counter by himself and thrusting Ali the money before returning to Marinette. "But 'careful' is my middle name."

"That's kind of a bad middle name," Marinette said as Chat led her to the room they'd be staying in. She waved to Ali as they left the lobby.

"Thank you." Chat pushed open the door to the room, letting Marinette go in before he followed after her. "Do you want to shower first?" he asked, and Marinette raised an eyebrow at him.

"Are you saying I look dirty?"

"Yeah."

She laughed. "Yeah, I'll shower first."

Pulling her yo-yo out of her pocket and setting it on the nightstand, Marinette looked around for a towel, found one in the closet by the bathroom, and then walked into the bathroom before shutting the door. She took her hair out of her pigtails, making a face at her dirty appearance in the mirror.

The shampoo was the same as last time – CB brand and glittery pink – and Marinette knew she'd have to brace herself for whatever jokes Chat would throw her way after her shower.

Her shower was short and wonderful, the warm water sliding down her body and relieving the stress in her muscles that she didn't even know was there. It seemed she had just gotten so used to being wound up.

When she finished, she toweled herself off and gave her hair a quick brush through with her fingers, trying her best to fix her bangs into something half-decent. She got back dressed in her tank top, sweater, and shorts, which looked just as new as when she first got them. She grabbed her boots and hung the towel around her neck as she walked out of the bathroom, leaving the light on for Chat.

He was laying on the bed, his hands underneath his head, eyes trained up at the ceiling. When he noticed that she had finished, he sat up, looking over at her at grinning at her glittery hair. "I had missed that hair," he said as he stood up.

"Yeah, and I had missed when it was clean," she said, giving him a light shove. "Now you get clean, too, and we'll match."

"Oh, how couple-y." He danced out of her way as she tried to slap his arm, disappearing into the bathroom and closing the door with a laugh.

Marinette sat down on the bed with a soft smile on her face, running the towel over her hair one last time, her eyes scanning over the room. And then they caught on the closet by the bathroom. Chat didn't take a towel in the bathroom, did he?

The water wasn't running, and it would probably be a process to take off the leather bodysuit he was wearing, so Marinette figured she wouldn't burst into the bathroom and find him naked. It would be fine. She hoped.

She grabbed a towel from the closet, gave two short knocks on the door as a slight warning, and then opened the door.

He was facing away from her, his shoulders stiff, head bent down. He wasn't wearing the leather body suit. He was wearing a regular plain, white t-shirt and blue jeans. The sight of his bare arms, tan and muscular, made Marinette freeze.

Slowly, he reached out to the countertop, where a silver ring sat. Marinette watched the movement of his bare hand, the way the lines of his bones moved under his skin. He put the ring on.

His shoulders relaxed. He brought his head up, and Marinette saw his black cat ears materialize on top of his head. She saw the outer edges of his domino mask finish materializing as he turned around.

"Marinette," Chat said, his tone something unidentifiable. "You startled me."

She stared at his arms, his hands. The area of skin where the collar of his t-shirt dipped low. "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered, finally looking up at his eyes, which were the same as they always were. "You hadn't taken a towel in, and I figured you weren't naked yet, so I-"

"It's okay," Chat soothed, taking the towel from Marinette and putting a bare hand on her shoulder. She resisted the urge to stare at it. "Thanks, sweetheart." With the same hand that was on her shoulder, Chat pushed her gently out of the bathroom. He gave her a smile before closing the door.

Marinette walked calmly back to the bed, where she sat down and flopped back. She put her hands on her face, resisting the urge to scream.

In retrospect, she did understand that Chat couldn't wear that bodysuit _all the time,_ but the sight of his skin still came as some big shock that rattled her insides. And it looked like the mask and ears could also be taken off, though he didn't seem like he wanted her to see that.

She thought about what Chat would look like without the domino mask _and_ the bodysuit. It was near impossible.

Chat got out of the shower a few minutes later, but Marinette didn't look at him, keeping her hands over her face. She heard his footsteps approach the bed.

"Yes, I know. It's a shock. I can dress in clothes that _aren't_ leather."

Marinette snorted out a laugh, but she still didn't look at him.

"Are you embarrassed by the sight of my perfect and flawlessly tan skin?"

"Narcissist."

"You bet."

She lifted her hands to look over at him. He wasn't wearing the bodysuit, just the same white t-shirt and blue jeans, but he was still wearing the mask and cat ears. He was looking at her with concern.

"I don't know why I'm so surprised," she admitted after a moment, sitting up and making room for Chat to sit beside her. "Objectively, I understand that you probably don't wear that all the time. Still weird, though."

He let out a little laugh, and he took her hand as he sat down, playing with her fingers in his lap. "See, that's why I wear the suit. People's eyes will burn if I don't."

Marinette looked down his hands, feeling the skin on skin contact. "My eyes aren't burning."

"Must be because you're special."

They spent a minute or so in silence, and then Marinette looked up at Chat. There were little flecks of pink glitter in his hair. She brought a hand up to run her fingers through the wet golden locks, her hand catching on a few tangles. "We match," she said, gesturing to her own hair.

"How couple-y." He brought his hand up to her face, pushing her still-damp hair behind her ear and tracing her cheek with his thumb. He leaned forward, and for a moment, Marinette forgot how to breathe. He bumped his forehead with hers. "We should sleep."

"Our hair is still wet." She got up from the bed anyway as he pulled back the covers.

"It'll be fine." He climbed onto the bed and pat the mattress beside him. "What's the worst that could happen?"

"We both get sick and die," she said, laying down beside him.

"Or our hair dries nicely as we sleep and we don't have to worry about it when we wake up."

They were both laying on their sides, facing each other. Their hands filled the space between them, and Marinette looked at the skin of his hands. She reached out scarred fingers, slowly entwining them with his smooth ones.

Her eyes flicked up to meet his, and she almost couldn't handle the look on his face. The soft smile, warm eyes – it was almost too much. But she kept staring. And he kept staring.

"You have to close your eyes to sleep," he whispered.

"The same to you."

"I don't ever want to look away from you."

"God, you're a sap."

"You're right." He squeezed her fingers. "Close your eyes." She closed her eyes.

She felt him kiss her fingertips, and then she drifted off, finally asleep.


	34. Chapter 33

Chat laid awake, his eyes fixed on Marinette's relaxed sleeping face. He knew he should try and get some rest in, considering Marinette was at least trying, but he didn't want to close his eyes and see something he didn't want to. He regained memories from Jumps with sleep, and a lot of the time, those memories weren't good. He also relieved past memories with sleep. Also not good.

So he stared at Marinette as she slept, watching the way her lips parted with every breath. Her hair was splayed against the pillow, and there would be no doubt that her hair would dry strangely on that side. Her cheek was smushed onto the pillow, and there was a little drool slipping out of her mouth. Her fingers twitched in his.

It was strange, to feel her skin directly. His suit had special capabilities that allowed him to feel different sensations, but it could never compare to the actual thing. Science could only go so far, he guessed.

Another strange thing: not wearing the suit in general.

He'd worn it almost continuously for so long in front of everyone. Except for Nino. But not wearing the suit in front of someone who wasn't Nino made Chat's heart beat a little faster.

Marinette had been so close to seeing his face. His face without the mask. Nerve-wracking.

He let his mind wander, never letting it stay too long on something for fear of letting the thought lull him to sleep.

Earlier, he had told Marinette about his mother. Not a lot, but still more than Chat had said to anyone in a long time. He thought about his mother for a bit, letting himself indulge in imagining the scent of her perfume, which always smelled like wildflowers, and the smile lines by her eyes.

The thought of his mother brought him to another, grimmer thought. Or rather, many grim thoughts, but one in particular. He stared at the face of the girl who came into his life not unlike a typhoon, and he wondered just how much she knew about the situation she was in.

A lot of things had happened before she came. A lot of things only Chat, Fu, and one other person knew the full details of. A lot of things that Chat wouldn't dare talk about.

He disentangled one of his hands from hers, lifting it up to trace a crescent on her cheekbone. Her eyes fluttered open, and she frowned at him, gripping the one hand still in her grasp.

"Don't tell me you've been awake the whole time," she muttered, her voice low and raspy from only just waking up.

"Hm." Her frown deepened. "It hasn't been that long. I promise."

"Go to sleep, Chat," she grumbled, closing her eyes once more.

"Hm."

She cracked one eye open. "What's keeping you awake?" she asked, her voice softening a little bit.

"Myself," Chat admitted.

"What about yourself?"

He thought about how much he should divulge. "Too many bad memories."

Marinette's face softened even more, and a sad look crossed her face. She pulled Chat closer, wrapping her arms around his head and holding him in a tight embrace. His nose tickled the small hairs by her neck, and he took a breath involuntarily. She smelled like cheap shampoo and wildflowers.

"That's when you try and think about the good memories," she whispered, and her voice was honey right by his ear.

Chat felt himself break a little. He relaxed into her embrace, burying his nose further in her hair. "Would if all the good memories are connected to bad ones?"

She held him a little tighter. "I'll give you some of mine."

There was a long pause, and tears gathered in his eyes. "Please," he whispered, and it was like he was begging for something unattainable.

"My parents," she started, and she blew out a breath, like it was difficult for her. "They owned a bakery. Each day, they'd wake me up at the crack of dawn blaring the same old CDs with the Chinese singer that I could never remember the name of. The first thing I smelled in the morning was baked bread."

He was suddenly reminded of when she ate the akuma candy and described all the flavors to him. All the sweet delights and pastries made sense to him now.

"After class I would come home to a snack my mother had made. When the bakery closed, I would play video games with my dad. I think he'd let me win, but I think that's okay."

She took in a shaking breath, and Chat wondered if she was crying. Why she was crying.

"I had a hideout on the roof of the bakery. It was also my house, you know? My hideout was right up against the stars, and my mom liked to buy flowers and plants for me to put up there. I would draw and dream there. Sometimes my parents would come up there with me, and we'd eat cookies and try and point out constellations that didn't exist."

"What would you dream about?" Chat asked, his voice low and husky. He was getting emotional hearing the sound of her voice breaking.

"Becoming a clothes designer." Her voice turned wistful. "I wanted to be famous, to have my clothes worn by everyone because they were just that good. I would dream up designs and collections and color schemes." He heard her swallow thickly, and he felt her hands shake as she stroked her fingers through his hair.

"Why are you crying?" he whispered, and at last a sob shook it's way out of her.

She pulled away from him, showing him her red eyes and tear-stained cheeks. She smiled sadly at him. "I'm only giving you good memories, kitty. Only good."

It seemed her good memories were tied with her bad ones as well. And yet she was the one trying to make Chat feel better about the same issue.

"If anyone's going to save the world, it's going to be you," Chat said, brushing her damp and frizzy behind her ear to wipe away her tears.

She let out a rather wet laugh. "I suppose that's a compliment."

"It is. You've got a good heart, and I know the SOUL inside you is good as well." His heart clenched. "You have all the power to make everyone fall to their knees."

"That's a little severe," she mumbled, smiling a little at him. "I just want everyone to get along."

"Too kind," Chat said, and he finally closed his eyes.

Marinette woke up from another dreamless sleep hours later, her hair all across her face. She was staring up at the ceiling, and she got the strange feeling that she was not laying in the position she felt asleep in.

She lifted her head.

No, she was not laying in the same position she fell asleep in.

Not at all.

Her body was splayed diagonally across Chat's, one of her arms cradling his face. Her other arm was trapped underneath Chat's arm around her waist. She wondered how this had happened and why Chat seemed to still be sleeping peacefully.

Either he was seriously dead tired, or he seriously didn't mind being slept on. She had a feeling it was a mix of both.

She didn't want to wake him up because although her memories were a little blurred from sleep, she still remembered what he had said. He couldn't sleep because he would remember too many bad memories.

Marinette knew what that felt like. It made sleeping not as relaxing as it was supposed to be. It made sleeping difficult.

Right now, he seemed to be sleeping without any sort of nightmare or bad dream of any kind. He was getting proper rest in who even knows how long.

After a while of trying to remain in the same position as when she woke up, her back started to hurt. And then her arm fell asleep. And her tiredness started to wear off, replaced with a burning hunger.

Chat still slept soundly.

She squirmed, trying to wiggle herself free of his arm, but he only seemed to grip her tighter. "At least let me change positions, asshole," she grumbled, not expecting any sort of response.

"No can do, bugaboo," mumbled Chat's very sleepy and husky sleep voice. Marinette almost shrieked. Almost.

"Since when have you been awake?" she demanded, trying her best to give him the stink eye from her position. She was sure she looked a bit silly, but she couldn't quite take him seriously with her arm still cradling his face at an odd angle.

"Since you have." She narrowed her eyes. "Yes, I've been asleep the whole time. I started to wake up when you started moving."

"Why didn't you say anything sooner?" she asked, thinking about the minutes she spent trying to stay still for his sake.

"I thought it was funny."

"You're the worst."

"Yeah, I know."

He finally let go of her waist, and she sat up, stretching her back and ridding herself of the cricks in her neck. He did the same, sitting up to rest his chin on her shoulder. His arms went to wrap around her waist again, and Marinette found herself staring down at his bare hands once more. It was still a surprise, it seemed.

She tore her eyes away from his hands. She turned her head to look at him, looking deeply into his eyes. "I'm hungry."

"Grillby's?"

"Yes, please."

The cold air outside of the inn was a shock to Marinette's skin, what with her having just spent hours under warm blankets and in Chat's arms.

As they made the short walk over to Grillby's, Chat reached over and intertwined his hand with hers. He had put the suit back on before he left, so the leather of his gloves touched her skin instead of his skin. She missed the feel of it.

He looked over to her, and his lips quirked up in a small snort of laughter.

"What?" she asked, a small smile growing on her face. It was like his smile was infectious.

"I was right," he said, reaching over and smoothing down one side of her hair. She felt it spring up again as soon as his hand left her head. "You're hair dried weird because of how you slept."

Marinette blushed, slapping her free hand against the offending chunk of hair. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"It looks cute," was all that he replied.

They walked into Grillby's, and they sat at the same place that they had sat the last time they'd been there. The warmth of Grillby's flames slowly started to defrost Marinette, and she gave a contented sigh.

Grillby looked at Marinette, then pointedly looked at Chat before looking at her again.

"Listen," Marinette started to defend herself, but she found she wasn't able to find a proper excuse.

"The usual, please," Chat said, seemingly oblivious for once.

Giving one last look at Marinette, Grillby brought out a couple of lemonades and two plates of burgers and fries, one order significantly smaller than the other. Chat took the smaller portion, taking the big plate from Grillby to set in front of Marinette.

"I can't possibly eat all this," she said, raising her eyebrow at him. But as she stared at the food, perfectly greasy and smelling amazing, her stomach grumbled.

"Whatever you don't eat you can just give to me. It'll be fine."

Marinette ate all of it.

She wiped the plate clean, in fact. Downed the entirety of her lemonade.

She leaned back on the stool, her hands gripping the countertop. Chat and Grillby looked over at her appreciatively.

"That was a lot," she said, patting her stomach and looking over at Chat. "I can't believe I did that." Then, to Grillby. "Thank you very much. It was delicious." Grillby's flames burned a little brighter.

Grillby looked expectantly at Chat. They stuck out a hand. Chat barely glanced down as he high fived Grillby, flashing a shining grin. "Put it on my tab."

Marinette rolled her eyes, and she looked over at Grillby to see that they were doing the same.

When they left Grillby's, embracing the cold once more, Marinette worried at her thumb nail as they walked back to the dock. "Do you think Jalil will actually give us a ride back? He didn't seem too happy about it the first time."

Chat looked ahead, his jaw set as he gave Marinette's hand a squeeze. "Jalil may not like me so much, but he's not a bad guy. He said he'd take us back to Hotland, so he will."

Sure enough, when they got to the dock, Jalil was waiting in his small boat, reading a different book than before. It was another one about time travel.

When he saw Marinette and Chat, his face darkened, and he set his eyes on Marinette, almost as if he was refusing to look at Chat. The burning blue of his glowing eye still unsettled her, and so she tried to focus on the normal soft blue of his other eye.

"Are you ready to go back to Hotland?" he asked her.

She gave a nervous glance to Chat. "Yes," she answered, and Jalil snapped his book shut. She jumped.

Just like before, Chat helped her into the boat first, and then she helped him in, too. They sat down next to another stack of books about time travel. Chat looked at them sadly.

Jalil rowed the boat onto the flowing part of the river. The gentle rocking of the boat as they traveled and the food in her stomach made Marinette's eyes heavy, and she rested her head against Chat's shoulder, closing her eyes. She fell into an in between state of sleep – not entirely asleep, but not entirely awake either.

"You think she's dead," she heard Jalil say, his voice soft as it drifted into her almost-sleeping consciousness.

"I think she's in a place where she won't easily be able to come back," Chat replied, voice just as soft. "There's a difference."

"You don't want to find her," Jalil said. His tone wasn't accusatory, Marinette's didn't think. He was just stating facts. Marinette wondered who this person they were talking about was.

"It's not that I don't want to. I just think there's no point."

"Nothing has a point anymore, does it? Everything is meaningless to you."

There was a moment of silence. Chat hummed. "Not everything."

"Things that used to be important to you. You've just abandoned them."

"They abandoned me. I chose not to take part in that world anymore."

"That world is where my sister is," Jalil said, and Marinette felt Chat sigh heavily.

"There's more to this than your sister, Jalil. More than you can ever know."

"So tell me."

Again, Chat sighed. "I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

A long silence stretched out, and Marinette felt the boat hit something. The dock.

"Wake up the girl. And get off my boat, Chat."

Marinette was jostled into a fully awake state by Chat's gentle voice. "Hey, sweetheart," he whispered, shaking her a little, "it's time to go."

She opened her eyes and looked over at Jalil. He was leaning the oar, staring off into the distance at something Marinette didn't think she'd be able to see if she tried.

When they got off the boat and started to walk away, Marinette glanced back at Jalil. She watched as his head dropped, and his shoulders started to shake. She stopped walking altogether and felt Chat stop beside her. He didn't turn around, though.

Jalil stood there shaking for a moment, and then he lifted his face to the high cavern ceiling, and Marinette felt her heart break at the expression on his face. He near collapsed on a seat of the boat, and he slowly reached for another book on time travel.

"Let's go, Marinette," Chat said softly, gently turning Marinette around so that she couldn't see Jalil anymore. "We have to keep moving, right?"

She finally resigned herself to walk again, but she couldn't shake the image of Jalil out of her head. "What happened to you two?" she asked, just as Chat opened the door to the lab.

He turned back to her, raising an eyebrow. "I already told you." She gave him a look, but he didn't yield. "It's time to meet someone new. Someone that will probably be a bit more hospitable."

"Probably?" Marinette asked.

Chat pushed open the door with a heavy sigh. "Yeah. Probably."

The interior of the lab was cloaked in a heavy darkness, and as they advanced further in, Marinette could hear the soft drone of machinery. Ahead was a large viewing screen which was cutting light into the dark room, and Chat let out a soft whistle.

"Yeah," he whispered, stopping to stare at the image of the two of them projected on the viewing screen. "We're probably screwed."

Marinette looked away from the viewing screen, shivering a little. If she squinted, she could make out junk piled on a desk next to the screen, but it was far too dark to be sure. She walked forward slowly, looking for a light switch, her footsteps echoing softly in the large space.

"Is this really what I look like? Man, am I _hand_ some," Chat called out from behind her. She looked back to see that he was holding his hand up to the viewing screen camera, blowing up the image of his leather clad hand. Marinette rolled her eyes.

"More like a handful," she deadpanned, letting her lips flicker up into a smile when Chat gasped.

A door slid open ahead and the lights suddenly flicked on, momentarily blinding Marinette. When she could see again, she saw a woman step out from behind the door, holding an open file and reading it carefully.

"Hello?" Marinette said, and the woman jumped back, dropping the file and giving a little shriek. Her glasses slipped off her nose and clattered to the floor, where the contents of the file were now scattered.

"Oh, gosh," the woman said, seeming to get a little flustered. She tucked a lock of short red hair behind her ear and dropped to her knees, fumbling for the papers and her glasses. "I really didn't expect you to get here so soon."

She only seemed to be making a larger mess, so Marinette kneeled down in front of her, picking up her glasses and handing them to her. "Here you go."

"Ah, thank you," the woman said, taking the glasses and putting them back on. They seemed to make her already rather large blue eyes even larger. Marinette glanced down at the scattering of papers, meaning to help pick up those too, but her eyes caught on the header of the paper on top.

 **SOUL Creation Test Subject #87 Results:**

Before Marinette could read anymore, the woman had snatched the papers away, laughing nervously while stuffing them into the case file. "Sorry about that," she said. Marinette stared at her hand. It seemed to be turning invisible. "My name is Sabrina. I'm the Royal Scientist."

She stood up, tucking her hair behind her ear again with her invisible hand and then offering the invisible hand for Marinette to shake.

"Um." Marinette stared at the place where a hand should be.

Sabrina looked down, finally seeming to notice the absence of her hand and blushing furiously. With what seemed like a great effort, she made her hand visible again, and Marinette hesitantly shook it.

"But yes," Sabrina continued, smiling a little at Marinette. "I am the Royal Scientist."

"That means you're with the king, right?" Marinette asked, stepping back a little and glancing over at Chat, who was making faces at the viewing screen.

"Oh, well, I'm not _with_ the king exactly. Well, I am. Er." She paused, seeming to think for a moment. "I'm not one of the bad guys who wants to kill you. Sort of like Chat."

Chat walked up to stand beside Marinette, crossing his arms. "You still work for Plagg. I don't." Sabrina shifted awkwardly. "But, yeah. Sure. Sort of like me." His tone was entirely light hearted, and Marinette shot him a pointed look to tell him to _behave._

Sabrina looked between Chat and Marinette, looking as if she might run away. When Chat shrugged and looked away, she focused back on Marinette, one of her arms slowly turning invisible. "A-anyway, when my cameras picked up a human entering the Underground, I got a little excited."

"Cameras?" Marinette asked. She vaguely remembered passing by a few unsettling and poorly hidden cameras on her journey. Suddenly the viewing screen made sense as well.

"Um, yes. Cameras." Sabrina was blushing now, and half of her face had started turning invisible also, which looked a little strange, like her glasses were hanging on thin air. "I meant to watch over you for Plagg, but I started to root for you and follow your fights, your friendships, your relationships." She stopped there, and her eyes drifted over to Chat, who was picking at the grime on his gloves and looking around lazily. Marinette didn't miss the implication there.

"You've really cleaned out the place, haven't you?" Chat asked, seemingly unaware of the conversation at hand, his voice a little sad.

Sabrina dipped her head, looking a little ashamed. "I _am_ the only scientist here. I manage the place all on my own."

Chat frowned. "Plagg didn't hire anyone else but you?"

If possible, Sabrina looked even further away, and more of her body was turning invisible until it really just looked like a lab coat and blue and green sweater vest was hovering in front of them. "No one really wanted to be hired after, um, the other scientists, you know."

Not for the first time, Marinette got the feeling she was missing more than few pieces of information.

For a moment, Chat seemed like he was about to say something else, but he only shut his mouth again, shaking his head a little. Marinette watched as he looked around the lab again, still with that same sad look on his face.

"I…" Sabrina looked between Chat and Marinette for a moment before fixing her gaze on Marinette, her wide smile extremely nervous. "I really wanted your journey to be peaceful, but now that you've come this far, I should inform you of a threat I myself have created."

"What do you mean?" Marinette asked, trying her best to keep her eyes away from Chat, who was now gazing at the files clutched in Sabrina's arms rather suspiciously.

"Back before you arrived, I helped a friend of mine develop a new body. Since I wasn't sure if Plagg would approve of me taking on a side project, I told him, and he suggested to make my friend a body that would fit that of a soldier."

At this, Chat's eyes visibly widened, and he whipped his head up, shock and fear twisting his features. Sabrina didn't miss Chat's sudden change, and she quickly hurried on.

"My friend, however, isn't much of the soldier type, so I took Plagg's suggestion with a grain of salt. I made her a new body capable of channeling her magic in sort of a weapon form, but she doesn't really fight anything." At this point, Marinette was wondering how this was a threat. "But, ah, it seems she hates humans. It's sort of her job, since the king himself was the one who suggested it."

"Do you understand what you've done?" Chat demanded, his tone harsher and sharper than anything Marinette had ever heard before.

"Whoa," she said, placing a hand on Chat's shoulder. "Slow down a little."

"No, I won't slow down!" Chat said, shaking free of Marinette's hand and advancing on Sabrina, who cowered under Chat's rage. "Giving that sort of scientific power to the wrong person has real life consequences. That can get to _anyone's_ head, and it's never pretty when it does."

Sabrina's lip trembled, and Marinette was just about to intervene when she saw Sabrina's legs start to turn invisible, until her face hardened and she took a step back. Chat was no longer in her face, and she tucked her hair behind her ear. "This isn't the lab that _you_ worked in, Chat Noir. My methods are very different from the ones that you used, and may I remind you that this is my _friend_ that we're talking about." With each word that she spoke, her voice grew more fierce and powerful until she was just as in Chat's face as he had been in hers.

"It doesn't matter who we're talking about," Chat roared, obviously more upset from Sabrina's words rather than soothed by them. "Power is a disease, and you just handed it off to someone!"

"I'm a scientist, too, you know! I don't just experiment on whatever I please and 'hand off' anything to anyone without a proper cause! Quit acting like I'm less competent than you." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, seemingly trying to reign herself in. "And besides, this is Chloe we're talking about. She's more likely to care about her new products or the shows she stars in than Marinette."

Marinette finally felt as though she could contribute to the conversation without looking like an ignorant fool, so she carefully rested a hand on Chat once more. "Chat," she said softly, and he sighed deeply.

"I apologize," he said, sounding sincere. "I didn't mean to make light of your work, or your methods, but I wasn't aware you had given Chloe Bourgeois a new body. The phrasing of a 'body fit for a soldier'" – he seemed to say this bit carefully, as if the words themselves were dangerous – "made me extremely alarmed."

Sabrina examined his face for a moment, and then she sighed. "It's alright. You had fair reason to be alarmed, but I can assure you that I'll do my best to control Chloe the best that I can. Besides there's no guarantee you two will run into her right now anyway."

The tense feeling that had filled the room earlier was now relieved a little bit, and Marinette let a sigh of her own escape her mouth.

A loud _thumping_ noise sounded from the wall next to them. Marinette looked at Sabrina. "What-?"

The noise sounded again, making the entire room shake. And then the wall fell in, revealing a terrifyingly beautiful robot that was wearing designer sunglasses on top of her perfectly styled metal blond hair.

"Is that…?" Marinette trailed off, looking over at Sabrina, who had backed away from the wall several steps, a nervous smile on her lips. Marinette looked back at the robot in front of her. "Oh, no."

"Oh, yes," Chloe Bourgeois said, her metal and painted pink lips curving up in a smile. "It's _so_ nice to finally meet the notorious human in the Underground."


	35. Chapter 34

"Oh, great," Chat groaned softly, leaning towards Marinette. "Chloe may not be all that into fighting, but she is a _colossal_ b-"

"Ready the cameras!" Chloe shouted, her voice shrill. Several cameras and other video equipment buzzed into the room from the hole that Chloe had made in the wall, seemingly on their own. Another small robot, considerably less flashy than Chloe, also buzzed into the room, going straight for Marinette.

She jumped back, pulling Chat with her. The robot seemed undeterred, going for her again and raising what Marinette saw were just makeup brushes and powders only after Chat slammed his baton into it and it was on the ground beside Chloe.

"Chat Noir!" she gasped in horror. "How dare you ruin the makeup machine!" Chat rolled his eyes, twirling his baton and tucking it in the small sling he had at the small of his back.

Chloe sauntered up to Marinette, her metallic heels clicking on the tile floor. Her cold and artificial hands grabbed Marinette's chin before anyone could even think of swatting her away, and she roughly moved Marinette's face side to side, seeming to examine her. Marinette didn't think she should attempt to talk with her face squished as it was.

"Could you _back off?"_ Chat said, providing Marinette with much appreciated back up. Chloe eyed him coldly, and they seemed to have a glare-off before Chloe's grip on Marinette's face loosened and she practically shoved Marinette away.

"Relax, kitty-kins," she lilted, stepping away from the two of them and checking one of the other cameras. "Since _somebody_ destroyed my makeup machine, I had to check that the human's face was worthy of my cameras. It'll probably be fine, though I can't say for sure my cameras won't break." The look she gave Marinette was so absolutely icy that it put Stormy to shame. Marinette rubbed her jaw, where she could still feel Chloe's cold grip, feeling more than a little offended.

Sabrina slowly went to stand by Chloe, her eyes fixed to the floor and multiple limbs starting to turn invisible. Chat glared at her.

"If we're not going to fight, then we're leaving," Marinette said, glaring at Chloe and starting to walk away, motioning for Chat to follow her.

A thick wall of electricity blocked Marinette's path, making her stop abruptly to avoid getting shocked into the next century. Marinette whipped her head back to Chloe, who smiled sweetly at her. "That's against the rules."

"Rules?"

"Action!" Chloe shouted, and the lights went out, plunging the room in darkness until a spotlight burst to life on Chloe, making her metal gleam and blinding Marinette. "Good evening monsters and my ladies," she said, flashing a bright smile at one of the hovering cameras. "Tonight's broadcast comes with a surprise guest! It is my pleasure to introduce-"

A spotlight flew around the room until settling on Marinette, whose eyes were feeling very abused at this point. She blinked rapidly, rubbing her eyes and watching her vision clear to see a camera right in her face. She yelped, surprised by the camera and by the cold metallic arm that was now wrapped around her shoulders.

"The human!" Chloe near screeched, her voice pounding on Marinette's eardrums now that she was so unbearably close. "Tell me, human, what is your name?" she asked, looking to Marinette and holding up her hand – which was now a microphone – to Marinette's face.

"My name is M-"

"What an interesting name!" Chloe exclaimed, throwing the microphone out of camera shot and whirling away from Marinette to stand in front of her again. "Now that all of the guests have been introduced-"

"Sabrina and I are here, too," Chat said loudly from the darkness beside Marinette.

"No one cares!" Chloe said brightly. Spotlights fell on them anyway. Chat looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, and Sabrina was almost entirely invisible. "Now then, let us begin with a game show" – she paused, leaning into the camera nearest to her – "of death!"

"Great," Marinette grumbled.

"If it's regular trivia, I can help out," Chat whispered, taking Marinette's hand and squeezing lightly.

"Helping the human is against the rules!" Chloe said, pointing her long metallic finger to Chat and sending several robots to him. They grabbed him and pulled him away from Marinette. He kicked and hit at them, but they were metal so all that did was hurt him.

"Chloe," he growled, his lip curling up threateningly. Marinette shivered, but all Chloe did was look away, gesturing to the robots. They plastered what looked like duck tape over Chat's mouth, and he shouted against it, struggling against the robots holding him back. But he couldn't get free.

Marinette started to run to him, but Chloe extended her arm and caught her, pulling her close to her side. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said lowly, the same horrible smile on her metal lips as a cage of electricity erupted around Chat and the robots restraining him.

"Let him go," Marinette demanded, shoving herself away from Chloe, who let her go easily as Marinette stumbled away.

"If you win the game," Chloe said, and Marinette really felt like slapping that smile off her face. She looked over at Sabrina, but she was just a pair of glasses floating in mid air.

"Fine," Marinette relented, and her SOUL emerged from her chest. She looked over at Chat, whose body had gone rigid. His eyes were trained on Marinette, and she nodded to him. He closed his eyes, letting his head sag for a moment before he seemed to resolve himself and look up again.

"First question!" Chloe exclaimed, either not noticing the heavy feeling in the room or just not bothering to care. "What is your prize for answering a question right?"

Four answer choices appeared in the air in front of Marinette, as well as a small timer that was ticking away the seconds. Suspenseful game show music had started to play.

The answer choices read:

 **A – Survival**

 **B – Chat Noir being let go**

 **C – More questions**

 **D – Puppies!**

Marinette eyed the choices, noticing that the timer was starting to get under fifteen seconds. She looked up at Chloe in defiance and slammed her hand into answer choice B.

There was a beat of silence in which Chloe smiled wickedly. And then – "I'm sorry, but that is incorrect."

The next few seconds were filled with agony as it felt like all of Marinette's cells in her body were jolted awake and burned multiple times over originating from her chest, where her SOUL normally came out of. She heard an almost animal-like screech, and when she fell to the floor, her body throbbing and her throat dry, she realized it had been her.

"Screaming is against the rules," she heard someone say, and tears rolled down her cheeks as she tried to unscramble her brain. "Crying is, too." The voice sounded very far away, completely drowned out by the sound of her own heartbeat in her ears.

It seemed like a long time before Marinette finally stood up on shaking feet, colors and sounds finally seeming to make sense to her. Her SOUL was shivering in front of her, and it looked very fragile. She looked over at Sabrina, blinking until her eyes focused, and she saw that it seemed like Sabrina had been shocked into turning visible again. Funny. Shocked.

She looked over at Chat, squinting through the bright electricity cage. He was struggling against the robots again, his limbs thrashing. She could hear his muffled attempts at screaming from underneath the tape. For a terrifying moment, she was afraid that Chat had gotten shocked too, but when he looked over at Marinette, his eyes were clear and in pain. But not the kind from being shocked with electricity.

"I'm okay," she said weakly, and Chloe laughed.

"No, you're not." Marinette looked over at her, her movements feeling slow. "That shock was set to bring someone halfway to dying." The words were delivered with the bright tone of a game show host, and Marinette closed her eyes, wondering how she was going to get through this. "Next question!"

Marinette opened her eyes again, straightening her spine and clenching her fists. No way was she letting herself look weak in front of Chloe ever again.

"What is the king's full name?"

The answer choices and timer appeared in front of Marinette again.

 **A – Cool-king Plagg**

 **B – Monsieur Fluffy Buns**

 **C – Plagg**

 **D – Plagg Dreemurr**

Marinette looked over at Chat, but of course he couldn't do anything to help. The robots were even covering his hands.

She didn't want to get the answer wrong and experience such a strong shock and potentially die, but she didn't know the answer. She couldn't even rule any of the answers out because the rules here in the Underground were always strange and sometimes people had strange names. In a last resort gesture, she looked hopelessly at Sabrina.

For a moment, nothing. The timer ticked each second away. And then Sabrina's eyes shot between Marinette and Chloe, her hands, which had been folded neatly in front of her, forming a very clear letter C.

Setting her eyes on Chloe once more, Marinette prayed to whatever higher being was out there that Sabrina could be trusted, and she pressed her hand to answer choice C. An agonizing silence ensued where it seemed like the only things comfortable were Chloe and the other robots.

"Correct!" Chloe said, still bright, but mostly disappointed. Marinette breathed out a sigh of relief. "Our king has only one name, but that doesn't mean we don't give him loving nicknames!" She winked at the camera.

"How many questions are there?" Marinette asked. Chloe's robotic head whipped around to look at her, fixing her with that same shallow smile.

"How ever many it takes before you drop dead," she said, her voice coated in poison and sugar. "Next question!"

Marinette looked at Sabrina, praying that her helping wasn't just a one-time thing. Sabrina gave her a slight nod, her facial expression carefully blank.

"What shade of CB brand lipstick is my favorite?"

"That question isn't fair," Marinette protested, and Sabrina shook her head slightly, giving her a worried look.

"I decide what's fair here. It's a question, therefore it's fair. Now what is my favorite shade of my brand of lipstick?"

As the answer choices materialized in front of Marinette, she considered Chloe's words. CB brand. Chloe Bourgeois brand. She rolled her eyes, looking down at the answer choices and tucking a strand of glittery hair behind her ear.

 **A – Frozen Blossom**

 **B – Pink Lady Luster**

 **C – Sugar Coated**

 **D – Dark Ballet**

The answer choices didn't come with swatches of the color, which Marinette found very unfair, but she restrained herself from saying so, instead looking up at Sabrina. She was forming the letter A which her hands, keeping them still low in front of her. Marinette chose the answer choice, and she was glad to feel no electricity in her.

"Correct!" Chloe exclaimed, sounding a little disappointed again. "Frozen Blossom is really and truly my favorite – I'm wearing it right now, in fact!" She made kissy lips at the nearest camera. "My brand has wonderful shades so it's easy to pick a favorite, and I have multiple formulas available that suit scales, metal, skin – you name it!"

Marinette tuned out the rest of her shameless advertising, looking over to Chat, who seemed to still be struggling against the robots just in an effort to be free. She almost ran to him again, but the cage of electricity kept her away. She breathed out a sigh, trying to convince herself that she'd get through the deadly trivia game.

Once Chloe seemed to be done with her self-promotion, she turned back to Marinette, or rather, the cameras. "Next question! Who is the most beautiful in the Underground?"

 **A – Rose**

 **B – Chloe**

 **C – Ali**

 **D – Chat Noir**

Staring at the answer choices, she was in a clear bind. All of the people in the answer choices were beautiful to Marinette, even Chloe, though her appearance seemed a bit marred by her horrible personality. The timer ticked. Marinette looked up to see Sabrina was forming a B with a bit of difficulty.

Marinette looked at her SOUL. It seemed to look back at her. She pulled out her yo-yo, watching the timer in front of her as she pulled out her last unicicle and nearly inhaled it. She watched as her SOUL seemed to glow brighter, and something told Marinette that she was near full health now. She whispered a quick apology to it.

Carefully positioning her hand and one of her arms, she looked Chloe dead in the eye as she slammed her hand and arm over every single answer choice except for answer choice B. Chloe didn't even bother saying it was incorrect.

The bright beam of electricity hit Marinette's SOUL dead on, shocking Marinette's very core. The pain that overcame her was just as intense as before, if not more. She felt herself throw her head back almost involuntarily and scream, the sound rough and animalistic. It tore her throat apart, and it felt like her body was being drenched in acid but it was so unbelievably _worth it._

When she came back to her senses, she was on her knees again and tears were streaming down her face and it hurt to move, but she raised her head to look at Chloe, feeling her lips pull into a twisted smile. Something that felt far worse than anything Chloe could ever pull off.

"I'm not fuel for your ego," she said, the words coming out as growl. Her eyes flicked over to Sabrina, who was standing completely still, her eyes wide and her mouth open.

There was a small sound from beside her, and Marinette looked over at Chat, whose face was turned toward the ceiling, almost like he was praying. When he opened his eyes, they met hers, and she could see how wet they were and how much he was begging her to never get an answer wrong again. For her sake _and_ his.

Marinette's heart felt like it had just been put through a wringer.

"Next question," Marinette said, getting to her feet and leveling Chloe's hard stare with one of her own.

After that, Marinette lost count of how many stupid and unfair questions Chloe shot at her. Each time, she was able to answer correctly because of Sabrina's hand motions.

It was when Marinette was presented with a large jar of glitter and asked how many pieces of glitter were in there that their trick was found out. Sabrina was taking a while, and Marinette was staring at her hands the whole time.

"Oh!" Sabrina exclaimed at last, and she quickly formed the letter. Marinette breathed a sigh of relief, and reached for the answer choice, but before she could, the choices disappeared.

"Huh?" Marinette looked up to see Chloe glaring at Sabrina, who nervously looked over at Chloe, her teeth worrying her lip. "Oh, no."

"My dear Sabrina," Chloe started, her lips pulling into a pinched smile, "have you been helping the human?" Sabrina shook her head back and forth, her hands and arms starting to turn invisible. "You know that's against the rules."

"I wasn't helping," Sabrina said, but the blush creeping across her cheeks told the exact opposite.

"In that case," Chloe said, completely ignoring Sabrina, "I'll ask a question you'll be sure to know the answer to!" There was a dramatic pause, and the suspenseful game show music swelled. Marinette looked over at her SOUL, who looked just about as done as she felt. "Who does Sabrina have a crush on?"

 **A – The Human**

 **B – Chloe**

 **C – Alya**

 **D – Don't know**

Marinette looked at Sabrina, but all she did was shake her hands back and forth.

There was no timer for this one, and Marinette took advantage of that, taking her time in considering each question. She wasn't sure how the question was structured, so she couldn't possibly feel comfortable picking option D if Chloe didn't think that was the right answer.

She didn't feel like it was herself – it seemed like Sabrina had been aware of Marinette's feelings towards Chat, and that would certainly be the answer to piss Chloe off the most.

Since they had arrived at the lab, Sabrina had made no mention of Alya at all, and, to be quite honest, Marinette had a hard time imagining Sabrina liking her in that way.

That left the last option – Chloe herself. It would certainly be the option that would please Chloe the most, but Marinette still thought about it. Sabrina had defended Chloe vehemently when Chat had gone on his rampage, and she had gone along with Chloe almost immediately after she had showed up. Not only was the answer choice the safest, it was the one that made the most sense. So Marinette chose it.

Almost immediately, Sabrina turned completely invisible, and that was enough proof for Marinette to know she was right.

"Wow, Sabrina," Chloe said, her expression uncharacteristically soft and genuine. "I always thought you were loyal to me, but this just proves it." There was a moment in which Chloe just smiled to herself, and Marinette thought that was far more beautiful than anything she had seen Chloe direct to towards the cameras.

But then her soft smile dropped and was replaced with a cold one. "As much as I appreciate your loyalty, Sabrina, we all know it's the human. It's just too obvious." Marinette frowned, and she saw Sabrina slowly start to turn visible again, a look of confusion across her features.

"What makes you say that?" Marinette asked, just as confused as Sabrina.

Chloe waved her hand, visibly trying to make it look like the matter meant very little to her. "She has that viewing screen up, and she's always talking about you. I'd call her obsessed."

It was at this moment that Marinette understood that Chloe's hatred towards her was for a reason and that Chloe was also very, very oblivious.

"Anyway, now that it's clear that Sabrina's been helping, there's no edge to the game anymore, so we might as well stop," Chloe said, turning to the camera nearest to her and plastering on her game show host smile. "But our mission to kill the human is not over, monsters and my ladies! Tune in next time for more drama" – the cameras panned to Sabrina – "more romance" – the cameras zoomed over to Chat and Marinette – "and more bloodshed!" The cameras went back to Chloe, whose smile had not left her face even the slightest. "Until next time!" she said, saluting charmingly at the camera.

There was a blackout, and immediately after, the regular lighting of the lab returned. Marinette's SOUL slipped back into her chest. Chloe's game show smile dropped almost comically from her face, replaced with a cold scowl that Marinette figured was her natural facial expression.

"Release him," Chloe ordered, and the robots holding back Chat let him go, letting him fall freely to the floor. He landed harshly on his hands and knees, his body shaking.

Marinette ran to him, this time unhindered, and she dropped to her knees beside him, touching him lightly with her fingertip only to get a small electric shock. She pulled away, glaring over at Chloe, who was examining her perfectly polished pink nails. "What did you do to him?"

"The robots are programmed to deliver a minute electric shock any time he struggled. It was really his own fault."

It was like the world went red for a moment, and suddenly Marinette had Chloe pushed up against the wall, her hands gripping the metal lapels of Chloe's yellow blazer so tightly that it hurt. She couldn't even form words to express the anger inside her, so she just glared, hoping that everything was communicating through her face.

Chloe's perfect pink lips pulled down in a scowl of distaste as she stared at Marinette, and there was a moment in which all they did was stare at each other in mutual hatred. And then Chloe lifted her metal hand and pushed Marinette away.

"Relax human, he should recover easily in the next few minutes." She turned away from Marinette, stepping back through the hole she'd made in the wall when she first arrived. "We'll be seeing each other soon." And she left, her cameras following after her.

Marinette stared at the spot for a moment longer, her fists unclenching and clenching, trying to get herself under control. There was a muffled moan behind her, and she was quite suddenly reminded of the fact that Chat was on the floor and in pain.

She hurried back to him, dropping to her knees again. He had fell from his hands and knees and now was laying face down on the tile. Marinette carefully flipped him over, touching her hands to his face and wincing at the shock it gave her, but pushing through it.

Chat's eyes were glassy, and he looked really out of it, but he seemed to focus on Marinette. "Hey," Marinette whispered, tracing her thumb on his cheekbone. He breathed out a harsh sigh through his nose, his eyes closing. "I'm going to take this off, okay?" she asked, tapping the tape on his mouth.

He raised his arm with great difficulty, his hand shaking, and he opened his eyes long enough to find Marinette's other hand. She took his hand, and he gave her a little squeeze, nodding his head.

And then she ripped off the tape.

"Mother f-" Chat sat straight up, almost knocking his head with Marinette's, but she managed to move out of the way just in time. He relaxed, rubbing his mouth. "Ow." He looked over at Marinette, his lips pulling up weakly into a grin. "That was quite a _shock."_

Marinette breathed out a sigh of relief, practically tackling Chat with the force of her hug. "You're okay," she sighed into his neck, pulling him as close to her as physically possible.

She felt his body relax into her grip, and he wrapped his arms around her and rubbed his hands over her back soothingly. "You scared me, too, bug."

"I know," she whispered, and she pulled away and gave him a soft smile. "But I'm okay. You're okay."

"Can't deny that," Chat said, and he pulled her close, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "But I really hope you never do something dangerous just to prove a point ever again."

"No promises," Marinette said, her smile growing as he pulled away and laughed softly, shaking his head.

They helped each other stand, and when they were both on their feet, Chat leaned a little on Marinette. She let him, wrapping a hand around his waist to help keep him steady.

She looked over at Sabrina, who was blushing up to her ears and staring with a deep expression of longing. Marinette felt her cheeks grow hot, and when Sabrina noticed that Marinette was looking, Sabrina blushed even harder. "I'm very sorry," Sabrina said, tucking her hair behind a very red ear, " it's just that you two are very- ah, I mean, I want- er, it's very-" With each word she spoke, another part of her body turned invisible and her blush deepened even more.

"I get it," Marinette said, sparing Sabrina of another moment of agony. She understood that whatever Sabrina saw with her and Chat, she really wanted to feel between her and Chloe.

"I don't," Chat said, and Marinette shot a glare at him. "What?" he asked, looking between her and Sabrina. "I really don't get it." Marinette rolled her eyes.

Sabrina was entirely invisible at this point, just a pair of red glasses and a stylishly smart outfit. "Well," she said, clearing her throat. Marinette imagined that she just tucked her hair behind her ear. "That was certainly something."

Marinette sighed, feeling an ache set into her bones from the shock of electricity she'd felt before. She was suddenly very tired.

"Understatement of the century."


	36. Chapter 35

There was an awkward silence that stretched between the three of them. Marinette's eye twitched. Chat's ring beeped, and he looked down at it idly. Sabrina cleared her throat.

"You have a Miraculous, too, right Marinette?" she asked, and Chat shot her a glare. Marinette didn't get why he seemed so bothered.

"I do," she said, pulling out the yo-yo. She could see Sabrina's eyes track the movement, and for a moment she wondered if she should've lied.

"I saw on my feed that yours is a bit primitive." Marinette raised her eyebrows. Sabrina flinched. "Not that it's a bad thing of course, but I could install some new features to help you out on the remainder of your journey. Like texting, social media, emergency jetpack, face time, and other stuff like that."

One of those was not like the others, but Marinette decided not to comment on it. She looked over to Chat, who was staring at Sabrina, suspicion obvious in his every feature. "Would that be okay?" she whispered to him. She liked the idea of having some more back up on the yo-yo, but she wasn't sure if she trusted the Royal Scientist to do that.

Chat raised his chin, looking down his nose at Sabrina. She shrunk back. He seemed to go through a moment of careful contemplation, and it looked like he figured out what would be best. "Only if I get to help."

Meaning he'd watch and make sure Sabrina didn't do anything weird.

Sabrina didn't seem keen to the idea, but when Marinette nodded in agreement, she sighed. "Of course." She reached for Marinette's Miraculous, and Marinette looked over at Chat before setting it in Sabrina's hands. "It'll only take a moment. Follow me," she said, beckoning to Chat.

They disappeared from Marinette's view, and she heard a lot of loud banging and tinkering and a lot more bickering.

She could hear Chat's low rumble of a voice, but it was the voice he used when he didn't want to be heard, and it worked. Marinette couldn't discern what he was saying. She could hear Sabrina's voice loud and clear, though.

"What do you _mean_ you haven't told her?" she heard Sabrina demand. Her eye twitched, and she cursed the shocks that Chloe had administered to her system. "That's important information, Noir." There was a pause as Chat muttered his counter argument, punctuated by a rather loud bang. "Of course you don't have to tell the specifics – you never tell _anyone_ the specifics – but it wouldn't hurt to _talk_ about it for once!"

"Don't lecture me like you know things," Marinette heard Chat say. They were on their way back. "I'll tell or not tell whatever I want to whomever I please." He sounded more annoyed than pissed, and Marinette blew out a small sigh of relief.

When the two were once again in front of Marinette again, Sabrina handed the yo-yo to Marinette. It didn't look different, but when Marinette had it in her hands, it seemed to weigh slightly heavier. Magic, probably.

"I added my phone number in there," Sabrina said, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear, "just in case you need any help with any new functions or anything like that."

"Gesture's appreciated," Chat said, narrowing his eyes at Sabrina. "But I'm right by her side, and I'm just as much of a scientist as you are." Sabrina rolled her eyes but didn't bother replying.

"Thank you, Sabrina," Marinette said, placing the yo-yo back in her pocket. She ignored Chat's look. "For everything."

Sabrina blushed deeply, portions of her body turning invisible. She pushed her hair back behind her ear. "I'm- I'm, uh, going to the, um, bathroom." She hurried away.

"You're too nice to her," Chat said immediately after Sabrina was out of sight.

Marinette slapped his arm. "She helped me through Chloe's game show of death. We're both alive because of her."

Chat pouted for a moment, but he seemed to be grateful enough for Sabrina's help, and he knew better than to argue with Marinette about that kind of stuff.

"So," Marinette said, wandering over to Sabrina's cluttered desk and moving a paper idly, "what's that important information Sabrina thinks you should tell me?" Marinette was not an idiot. Her eye twitched again.

She was still pretending to be innocent, and when she looked over at Chat, he had his face turned up to the ceiling, a deep sigh in the process of going through his lungs. "It's really nothing you should worry about."

"I'll worry about it anyway," she said with a shrug.

"Really, Marinette," he said, and she realized he was serious, "it's better for everyone the less people know about it."

Taking her hand off the desk, Marinette turned to face him. "Once this all blows over, and we're all safe, will you tell me?"

He gave her a pained look then, and she realized there had been no question in her statement other than the one intended. There was going to be an afterwards for them, and she believed it. "I don't know, bug. I don't know."

She frowned. "If this is about whether or not we'll both live through this-"

"That's not what it's about," Chat interrupted. "It's just…" He trailed off, blowing out a breath and ruffling a hand through his hair. "Can we look around? I want to see the rest of the lab."

It wasn't the smoothest segue that Chat had ever come up with, and Marinette got the point. Whatever it was, Chat planned on keeping it under wraps for an indefinable amount of time.

"Yeah," she said, smiling at him. Her eye twitched, and she ignored it. "Let's look around."

The bottom floor was relatively bare save for the viewing screen by Sabrina's desk, the hole that Chloe had made in the wall, and the bathroom that Sabrina had slipped into, but the top floor that they got to via the escalator seemed to be a bit more filled. It had several bookshelves of human history in different languages, and it also had bookshelves filled with fiction and comics. Those bookshelves had no label, and Marinette hoped those also weren't considered human history.

Chat wandered through the room like a ghost, trailing his fingers over the bookshelves and the walls with a sad look on his face. To Marinette, the expression was bit… nostalgic.

She stood by what looked like Sabrina's bed, her hand resting on the wall that opened up to the escalator going down. It had notches from a couple feet off the ground to just above Marinette's height. She traced the notches, looking over to Chat, who was staring at a wall with that same nostalgic look.

"How long did you work here?" she asked, and Chat seemed to notice her presence for the first time since they'd arrived to the top floor.

He saw where she was standing and he drifted over to her, his fingers touching the notches in the walls. "Since I was a kid," he said, and his fingers traced over some less deep scratches in the wall by a notch. The scratches formed a capital letter 'A.'

"A kid?" Marinette asked, and her heart pulled at the nod that Chat gave her. He was lost somewhere in his memories, and now Marinette was understanding there were a lot of them here. She looked down at the notches near the floor.

They were height notches. To measure a kid's growth.

"Chat…" She tried to catch his eye, her fingers brushing over the letter A beside the notch she'd been touching.

He had turned away from her, back to the wall he'd been staring at before. "This whole wall used to be a chalkboard, you know," he said quietly. "My… my colleagues" – the word seemed to pain him – "used it for extra space, and they gave me extra chalk so that I could keep myself busy. They held a contest each week for best drawing, and I always won." His bright green eyes seemed wet.

She moved to stand next to him, staring at the wall with him. She tried to imagine a little Chat drawing on the wall, winning drawing contests and making scientists smile. The thought made her lips turn up a little. "You liked it here?" she asked.

"I grew up surrounded by science and progress. By people that cared about the future, and… and cared about me." He paused. Marinette didn't trust herself to look over at him. She was afraid of what kind of face he was making. "I more than liked it. I loved it. The years I spent here were the best in my life."

It took a moment for the words to sink in. Marinette frowned. "You sound like you'd never want to leave. So why did you?" She finally worked up the courage to look at him. His bottom lip was trembling.

Before Marinette could act on her sudden urge to hold him, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "A lot of things went wrong. Some experiments failed, and my-my colleagues went rogue. They made a lot of mistakes, and it didn't feel right for me to come back. It wasn't safe."

There was a lot of information that he was holding back; that much was clear. But Marinette got the feeling she shouldn't press on specifics, no matter how much she wanted to know. "But you didn't, um, go rogue, right?" The phrase felt strange on her tongue. She wondered what Chat meant by that. "Why was it dangerous to come back?"

Chat reached out, pressing his palm flat on the pale yellow wallpaper, as if by trying hard enough he would still be able to feel the chalkboard underneath. "When everything went to hell, my allies shifted, and so did my way of thinking. This lab worked towards hero work, and I used to believe in that, but it never seemed practical to me afterwards. I couldn't call attention to myself by being a hero if I didn't want to be killed. I didn't go rogue the way my colleagues did, but I did turn my back on Plagg."

When everything went to hell. Throughout all of Chat's brief explanation, that was the one phrase that had stuck in Marinette's head. She wondered if she'd ever know the full details of what had happened.

Closing her eyes, she pressed her hand on the wall beside Chat's. It was a prayer, and it was a promise.

"I'll be the hero," she said, opening her eyes to look at Chat. "I'll be the hero," she repeated.

Chat laughed, shaking his head. "You already are."

He took his hand off the wall.

When they reached the bottom floor again, Chat started walking to go forwards, but Marinette turned back the way that they had come in. "Wasn't there another path?" she asked, tugging on his arm. She really just wanted to go back to the save point that she remembered was there, both to get rid of the twitch she'd had ever since Chloe had electrocuted her and to save.

He frowned. "It should still be blocked off, and I don't think even _I'm_ charismatic enough to get them to leave."

"Don't sell yourself short," Marinette said, already pulling him along with her. "And besides, the plan was for _me_ to charm them away. Because we both know I'm better."

"Can't argue with that," Chat said with a shrug.

It was a bad attempt at humor to lighten both of them up, and Marinette knew it. But Chat was obviously troubled by the sight of the lab and the memories it brought back, and Marinette didn't like seeing that faraway look in his eyes. If he wasn't going to tell her what was bothering him, she might as well try to make him feel better.

Before they stepped in front of the guards blocking the path, Marinette nudged the toe of her boot to the save point. Her twitch immediately went away and it felt like life had been breathed back into her shocked muscular system.

She hadn't realized how much the electro-shock had affected her until it wasn't affecting her anymore. She looked over at Chat, completely frozen next to her, that same troubled look on his face from before.

Pressing the 'yes' button, the world came back to life, and Marinette touched Chat's arm. He looked over at her, raising his eyebrows and erasing that look from his face. "I have some food in the yo-yo if you need it. Since you got shocked."

"I'm perfectly fine," Chat said, giving her a toothy grin. It didn't reach his eyes.

"Don't lie to me."

His smile softened into something that wasn't fake. "I'm being serious," he said, taking her hand. "I heal fast."

She gave him a once over, examining for twitches or signs of fatigue. All she got was the tired look in his eyes and the gentle downward slop of his shoulders that she recognized from the times when he was thinking too much. "Are you sure?"

"Positive."

She eyed him a little more. Finally, she sighed. "Okay, I believe you." She believed that he was physically fine, maybe in need of a quick catnap, but not mentally. But he didn't want to talk about it – she could tell by the way he was avoiding her eyes.

Giving his hand a squeeze – one she hoped helped him know that she was there if he needed her – she stepped in front of the guards. "I'd like to go on this path."

The two guards, faces covered and very different in terms of height, looked at each other. The taller one looked back at her and straightened. "We're not supposed to let anyone through. Orders and junk."

"Alya says there's a human on the loose," the smaller one piped in. He made a full-body gesture that seemed to go along with an eye roll that Marinette couldn't see. "Which is ridiculous. It's been years since a human's been down here, and there's no real way they would be able to survive this long, let alone get _inside_ the Underground."

Marinette felt a little proud. She looked back to Chat to share a nice look, but he was staring at the guards with his mouth open.

"Max?" he asked, walking up to stand beside Marinette and pointing at the smaller guard, who shifted uncomfortably. "Why are you part of the Royal Guard?"

"None of your business," the taller guard said, shifting forward as if to shield Max from Chat.

"Didn't ask you, Kim," Chat said, barely offering the taller guard a glance. "Why are you a guard?" Chat asked again to Max.

"Because I want to be," Max said, moving his head as if he was lifting his chin.

"Yeah, that's a load of sh-"

" _Chat,"_ Marinette interrupted, resting a hand on his arm. He pulled back, but he didn't seem happy about it. "How about you explain to me what's happening." She was getting very tired of never knowing what was going on when Chat got upset.

"This guy," Chat said, angrily gesturing to Max, "is a scientist."

Marinette frowned. "But didn't Sabrina say that she was the only one right now?"

"That's because she is," Max said, stabbing his spear into the ground and folding his arms. "I'm not a scientist, Chat."

"You are! You love science. You told me that you wanted to be the Royal Scientist."

There was no telling what kind of expression Max had on, but Marinette thought it might've been a mix between pity and embarrassment. "That was when we were kids. And besides, a lot has changed. You also said you wanted to be the Royal Scientist, and now here we are."

Kim, the taller guard, looked down at Max with what seemed to be disbelief. "You wanted to be the Royal Scientist?" They all ignored him.

"You know why I couldn't go back," Chat said, shaking his head. "But it's different for you."

Max shook his head. "Listen, Chat, I was just as involved with the lab as you were" – Chat was already shaking his head again – "and I also believed in the old policies. I liked what we were doing before… Before we messed up." A slight waver of confusion appeared in his voice. "I couldn't do the experiments that King Plagg wanted, so I just left the lab."

"You could've changed things!" Chat said. He was getting more upset. Marinette wondered if she should intervene.

"And what are you doing?" Max demanded, seemingly undeterred by Chat's anger. "Being a bum in the Royal Guard, lazing around the entire Underground? It's like you don't even care that your p-"

"I knew my place," Chat interrupted, his words a growl that Marinette imagined had scraped his throat coming out. "And you should've known yours. You could've stopped Plagg. You. Could've. Fought. _Back."_

At the last word, green light burst from Chat's body, surrounding him in a sickly green aura dotted with black that radiated a deadly heat. Marinette backed away from him, almost not recognizing him with the rage that had distorted his features.

Both Max and Kim had stumbled backwards, and Kim raised his spear towards Chat. "That's enough," Kim said, pointing the spear at Chat's chest. Chat grabbed the shaft of the spear, but he didn't do anything to actually start a fight. Where his hand was touching the spear, the metal started to look as if it were rusting and flaking away.

Kim turned his head to Marinette. "I'm sorry, little lady, but you're going to have to leave." He really did sound sorry, but when he turned back to Chat, she saw his amicable nature disappear. "And take Chat Noir with you."

"I will. I'm very sorry," Marinette said, easing back towards Chat, wary of his green and black aura. Glancing at the slowly decaying spear, she reached out to try and touch him, try and ease him away but the light burned her fingers. She yelped, pulling back.

Her yelp seemed to bring Chat back to himself because he let go of Kim's spear and looked away from Max, finally looking over at Marinette. His aura disappeared immediately, and he reached towards Marinette.

She pulled away on instinct, her fingertips throbbing and burning. When she saw the intense wounded look of regret pull across his features, she reached forward again, but with her other hand. "Hey, hey," she said, gently touching his arm, "let's go, okay?"

"I'm so sorry," Chat said as they started to walk away, back towards the lab. He sounded like he was about to cry. "I'm so, _so_ sorry."

Marinette looked down at her injured fingertips. It looked like the top few layers of skin had simply disintegrated, leaving behind a horrible mess of blood and what looked like bone. She shut her eyes tight and clenched her fist, ignoring the pain. "It's alright. I'm okay."

"No, you're not," Chat said as they walked back into the lab, hanging his head. "I… I lost control. And I hurt you."

The lab was still deserted, and Marinette looked around. There was a package of instant noodles on Sabrina's desk next to a bunch of others, so Marinette took one and opened it up as quickly and quietly as she could. She broke off a little portion of the uncooked noodles from the square and stuffed it in her mouth, chewing on the dry noodles and watching as a new layer of pink, raw skin grew over the disintegrated bits of her fingertips.

She went back to Chat and hid the package of noodles behind her back, showing her newly healed fingers to Chat. "You did," she admitted, making him look at her fingers. "But look. It's not that bad."

He looked up at her, his expression lost, and Marinette thought of the utter mess her fingers had been only a moment before. "It could've been, Marinette. It could've been really bad."

"But it wasn't," Marinette said, lying a little bit. The sensation that had overcome her fingertips as soon as she had touched that green dotted black aura was unlike any other she had every felt. She was glad she had pulled away instantly, or else she felt like that disintegration would've spread throughout her whole body.

Shaking his head after staring at her for a moment longer, he ruffled a hand through his hair and walked ahead of her to exit the lab. She took that opportunity to stuff the noodles into the storage compartment of her yo-yo.

Jogging a little to catch up, Marinette caught Chat's hand in hers, wincing a little as her new skin brushed against the leather of his glove. He seemed to almost pull his hand away, but she held firm, walking beside him.

"Can…" Marinette was almost afraid to continue, but she took a deep breath, gathering up her courage. "Can I ask what that aura was?" she asked. Chat's steps slowed to a stop, bringing her to a stop as well, just outside of the lab.

He lifted their conjoined hands, keeping his eyes on that instead of her face. "Everyone down here holds a certain sort of magic."

"Right," Marinette said, nodding her head. "Akumas are basically made of magic."

A small smile pulled at his lips, and his eyes flicked up to meet her gaze before going back to their hands. "Correct. Obviously I'm no exception. I've got some magic in me."

"And that – that green and black light? That was your magic?"

Chat moved their hands so that he could see the ring on his ring finger. Marinette could feel it pressing into her skin. "It was some of it. A magician always has other tricks up their sleeves, right?"

"Right," Marinette said. They didn't start walking again. "Chat?"

"Hm?"

"What is your magic?"

He sighed, and his head dropped even lower than it already was. "It's called Cataclysm." There was a pause, and he released a small and bitter laugh. "Ha, get it? _Cat_ aclysm?"

Marinette didn't think it was that funny, and neither did Chat.

"What does it do?"

Chat lifted his free hand, making sure it was away from both of them, and that same green and black aura burst to life around his hand, but it wasn't like before. It only circled his hand, and he seemed to have total control of it. "This power can destroy anything I touch." He looked up, finally holding her gaze. "It wasn't just named for the pun. It can cause cataclysms."

The aura around his left hand disappeared, and he dropped his arm. Marinette squeezed the hand she had a hold of, and then she brought his hand up to her lips, giving each knuckle on his hand a kiss. He shivered, dropping his head to touch their foreheads together.

"It seems like you can only cause cataclysms if you want to," she murmured against his hand. "But you don't want to."

"Magic is an emotional force," Chat whispered, and it seemed like that was the only volume of voice he could manage at the moment. "It can be affected by the user's intense emotions, and it's easy to lose control. I lost control earlier."

Marinette gave his hand another kiss. "But you didn't cause a cataclysm. You still had control, even if you thought you didn't. You didn't hurt anybody on purpose, and you didn't destroy anything."

That seemed to be exactly what Chat needed to hear. His breathing stuttered, and he brought their hands down. There was nothing between them except for their shared breathing space. Marinette could feel Chat's breath brushing on her lips. She closed her eyes.

A loud _ding_ sounded from Marinette's pocket, and it startled the two of them apart.

Pulling out the yo-yo and sliding it open to the phone function, Marinette saw it was only a notification from a social media site that Sabrina had signed her up to. It looked like Sabrina had posted something about forgetting to watch Marinette and Alya's fight.

Marinette blew out a breath, not sure of what to make of the situation. She combed her fingers through her bangs, trying to push down the blood that had rushed to her cheeks. "Sorry," she said, not sure if she should apologize, but doing it anyway.

Chat cleared his throat, also running a hand through his hair. His ears twitched. His face looked a bit red. "It's cool."

How the hell was she supposed to clear the awkward air that now surrounded them? She was very sure that going back to whatever they had been about to do was out of the question, but she wasn't sure where else to go.

She decided to go back to what they had been talking about before. "Don't, uh, don't akumas' type of magic have something to do with how they turned? So, like, how-" She stopped, suddenly realizing in horror how intrusive that question was and mentally kicking herself for it.

"It's a boring story, bug," Chat said, placing an easy grin on his face and linking their arms. "You'd hate it."

Marinette didn't think that, but she was glad he seemed to not be offended by her stupid question. "Oh, really?" she asked, forcing herself to relax and not let her skin buzz where the sleeve of her sweater was making contact with the leather of his suit.

"Yes, really." He started to walk forward, pulling her along until she matched her pace. "Now I believe we have a mission to complete."

The thought of continuing to walk in this horrible heat made Marinette want to curl up on the spot. "Can't we take a break?"

"You had your break. Ate some noodles and everything." She gaped at him, and his grin softened a little as he winked at her. "And sweetheart, I do think we should save the world sooner rather than later."

A grin of her own pulled at her lips, and she walked a little closer to him. "Darling, I couldn't agree more."


End file.
